The role of international organizations on building state capacity for environmental migration management: A case study of Kenya

This thesis investigates the environmental migration management capacity-building strategies and initiatives of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and their impact on state capacity in Kenya. The case of Kenya is considered suitable for environmental migration management due to its vulnerability to climate change and environmental degradation, leading to frequent natural disasters and population displacement. The country has a significant number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to environmental factors. Kenya has collaborated with international organizations (IOs) to strengthen its environmental migration management capacity. The research conducted utilizes a combination of qualitative and mixed methods approaches, incorporating process tracing and semi-structured interviews. This study shows that the IOM's efforts to enhance institutional capacity in Kenya have a positive impact on institutional capacity and result in improved and more efficient methods of managing environmental migration. The study also indicates that the presence of IOs and IOM strengthens the state's environmental migration governance and the state's capacity to address migration caused by environmental factors. However, the study also identifies areas for improvement, such as policy change and climate change awareness. Keywords: Migration Management, Environmental Migration, Capacity Building, State Capacity, Kenya