Opening remarks

International migration has been widely observed to be an increasing global trend. Reasons for migration include economic, political, and environmental factors; while most economic migration is seen as voluntary, political and environmental migration is more often seen as forced. At the same time, it is widely accepted that rapid industrial development over the past century has caused environmental degradation and contributed to global climate change. This seminar will focus on the effect of environmental degradation on migration, the effect of sudden natural disasters on forced migration, as well as the effect of migration on the environment.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Reduced Inequalities

Sustainable Cities and Communities