Climate and (Im)mobility research: a systematic review of current trends and future directions

Abstract

The relationship between climate change and human mobility has garnered growing attention in academic, NGO, and policy circles. A substantial body of literature examines the anticipated effects of climate change on mobility and immobility, related adaptation strategies and policy responses, while also critiquing the field’s dominant narratives and conceptual frameworks. This systematic review analyzes 244 articles published between 2013 and 2024 to map thematic, methodological, disciplinary, geographical, and terminological trends in both mobility- and immobility-focused research. We explore how key dimensions of the research may influence its questions, assumptions, and findings. Our analysis shows increasing engagement with the complexity of climate-related (im)mobility. However, disciplinary boundaries and methodological preferences continue to shape – and limit – the field. Strictly quantitative studies, especially in environmental and political science, tend to prioritize large-scale mobility and rely on datasets that often obscure immobility and local context and experiences. Qualitative and mixed-methods approaches more often engage with questions of agency and constraint and grapple with the complexity of (im)mobility drivers and decision-making. Despite a rise in interdisciplinary work, collaboration between STEM and social sciences remains limited. Internal and intra-regional mobility – more prevalent than international migration – continue to receive less attention. We call for greater conceptual and methodological reflexivity. Future research should bridge disciplinary divides, center affected communities, and move past dominant mobility narratives. A more inclusive and context-specific approach is needed to better reflect the complexity of climate-related decision-making and to inform equitable adaptation and policy strategies.