IPR affiliates conduct research on both internal and external migration, and most of this research considers both the causes and consequences of migration as a key component of population processes. Several IPR affiliates conduct research on immigration to the U.S., examining associations between immigrant status and outcomes such as health, fertility, and residential segregation. Some of this research focuses on immigration from Mexico, while other projects focus on immigrants from Sub-Saharan Africa and from South Asia and entail primary data collection in Columbus. The settings for other research programs on migration are outside the U.S. This includes research on internal migration in Bangladesh, with specific attention to migration as a response to climate change, and migration in Mozambique (both internal and international), with a goal of assessing consequences for children of parental migration. Also falling within this Primary Research Area is research on residential segregation in the U.S. These programs of research have been funded by a mix of NIH awards and grants from other sources.
Featured Project
Project Title: Migration and Climate Change: Environmental Vulnerability and Location Choice in Bangladesh
PI: Joyce Chen, Associate Professor, AEDE
Other Investigators: Craig Jenkins, Professor, Sociology
This project utilizes an innovative data collection technique to provide estimates of population mobility motivated by environmental stress. Building on existing household surveys, we add modules on mobile phone ownership/use and then conduct follow-up surveys via mobile phones. This approach is unique in that it can provide high frequency data on mobility, essential in a context where individuals often migrate over short distances and for short (<3 months) periods of time, allowing us to assess both the extent and the efficacy of migration as adaptation. These data are then paired with state-of-the-art climate and environmental data, derived from a combination of remote sensing, geodetic, and in situ sources. We focus on Bangladesh, one of the world’s most vulnerable regions to the adverse effects of climate change. Migration is studied within the context of other adaptation and mitigation efforts in order to gain a complete picture of local resilience. Behavioral considerations will also be integrated into the analysis to identify the underlying impetus for environmental migration, as well as secondary factors that may be either encouraging or inhibiting mobility.