PhD Project
In recent years, academic research on the relationship between climate change and (im)mobility has expanded, revealing the complex ways in which communities respond to environmental stressors. Migration outcomes—whether adaptive, involuntary, or constrained by immobility—are shaped not only by individual and household characteristics but also by broader social, political, and economic vulnerabilities. Understanding local climate risk perceptions within these structural contexts is crucial for assessing migration as an effective adaptation strategy. However, there is limited evidence on how socio-demographic factors such as gender, age, and wealth intersect with mobility intentions in specific regional dynamics.
Central Asia, and particularly Kyrgyzstan, faces significant climate-related challenges, including drought, water scarcity, and poor resource management, yet remains underexplored in climate-migration research. As a highly mountainous country, with 70 percent of its territory covered by mountains, Kyrgyzstan is heavily reliant on glacial meltwater for agriculture and energy, making highland communities particularly vulnerable to climate change. Accelerated glacier retreat, shifting precipitation patterns, and land degradation are threatening traditional agro-pastoral livelihoods, potentially influencing migration as an adaptation strategy. Despite these growing risks, research remains scarce on how Kyrgyz communities perceive climate risks across different socio-demographic groups and how these perceptions shape migration intentions.
This study addresses these gaps by examining local communities’ aspirations and capabilities to leave or stay under climate change impacts. Through participatory focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews in Issyk-Kul province—which hosts the second highest altitude lake in the world, having climate-sensitive livelihoods—this research employs QCA and Q methodology to uncover nuanced perspectives. The findings aim to inform gender-sensitive climate adaptation policies and safe migration strategies that respond to the specific needs of vulnerable mountain communities.
Output
Why we need ethnographic and artistic methods climate research
Hidden Ghosts: A Story of Climate Devastation | Research Institute for Sustainability
Re-imagining the future through visual utopias | Research Institute for Sustainability
Community Voices on Climate, Peace and Security: Mindanao, Philippines
FoodClimate
