Climate change and migration in West africa: A sociological analysis of the Niger context

Climate change is one of the most complex and disturbing events of the 21st century. It is a planetary phenomenon which determines the fate of man and his environment. Therefore, it is more than necessary to question the relationship between the quality of the environment and human life. Migratory movements due to climatic hazard represent a complex reality in which the population find its difficult to live. This climatic reality currently makes communities vulnerable and forces individuals, families, communities and entire villages to migrate temporarily or permanently to ensure their survival. In West Africa, and in particular in the Sahel, climate issues have raised increasingly serious and legitimate concerns. In this region, droughts, floods, high temperatures, torrential rains, winds are more violent and destructive than in the rest of the world. These recurring natural disasters degrade already limited natural resources. These natural resources, necessary for the survival of the population that constitute the strong link of the economy. Thus, under these climatic threats and their consequences on the quality of life of the population, uncontrolled migratory flows are often observed in this geographical area. Niger, an agro-pastoral zone, as a case study of this research, is plagued by climatic hazards under the combined effect of human action. Indeed, Niger is one of the most agriculture and livestock-dependent countries in the world. Agriculture and animal husbandry are in turn highly dependent on climatic conditions. Considering that around 85% of the population of Niger is employed by rain-fed agriculture and animal husbandry, it is therefore easier to understand the potential devastating effects of environmental changes on the country. This study was conducted to understand the impacts of climate change on migration in Niger. To this end, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 49 people in the 8 major cities of the country and the province of Kantché for its particularity in the field of migration. The data obtained at the end of the interview were grouped according to the emerging themes and interpreted. Finally, the data obtained were analyzed with the QDA software. This study on the sociological analysis of climatic impacts on migratory flows in Niger, includes both theoretical and field research. In the theoretical part, the concepts of climate change and migration are discussed. In addition, the main features of the theory on the links between climate change and recent migration and the different approaches on all these issues are highlighted. Once again in this chapter, it is underlined how the new actors construct the questions around climate change and migration from epistemological and cultural perspectives. Field research focused on the views of the local population on climate change impacts on migration. In this chapter, we try to understand how climate change affects migration. Particular emphasis was placed on the strategies developed to deal with these phenomena. How these phenomena affect lifestyles and cultures using an in-depth interview method and other additional techniques. This research is important in terms of scientific contribution, to the literature and of guidance for political and social decision-makers.