DEPARTMENT OF DEVELPOMENT STUDIES
MODULE: DEMOGRAPHY, MIGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT
LECTURER:
REG.NUMBER: NAME: KEITH JASPER MANAKE
SURNAME: DUBE
LEVEL:
M.O.E:
QUESTION: Discuss the impact of natural disasters on migration on the continent
International migration is of great concern to both developing and developed countries. The movement of people is led by economic, demographic, political, social, cultural and environmental factors in both the sending country ‘push factors’ as well as in destination countries ‘pull factors’ Harris and Todaro, (1970). Natural disasters are one of the major factors leading to migration in Africa as a result of poor disaster management skills for example drought in the horn of Africa, floods in South Africa and Mozambique, cyclones in Madagascar and earthquakes in Egypt. Natural disasters destroy the infrastructure thereby living people without accommodation while others like drought increase poverty and food insecurity thereby in an attempt to secure basic needs humans are forced to migrate thus forced migration due to natural disasters. Naudé (2008) shows in the Sub-Saharan Africa context that environmental pressure has an impact on migration through the frequency of natural disasters hence the rate of migration can be directly linked to natural disasters in the continent. However in countries with proper disaster management techniques natural disasters do not largely lead to migration and some can say it does not have a greater impact on migration though it’s a subject to debate.
Natural disasters are a major contributing factor towards migration especially within the continent