The impact of climate change on population distribution and mobility is attracting growing interest, as well as heated debate. Frequently cited figures estimate that by 2050, the number of people forced to move primarily because of climate change will range between 200 million and 1 billion. Underlying these predictions is the view that migration reflects a failure to adapt to changes in the physical environment, and that migrants are a relatively undifferentiated group all making similar emergency responses and moving to unspecified destinations, including international ones.
