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Although migration has long been of interest to policy-makers, it has recently become a prominent topic in debates on the impacts of climate change. Frequently-cited figures estimate that by 2050 the number of people displaced primarily because of environmental degradation linked to climate change could be as high as 200 million (Myers 2005; Stern Review Team 2006). Underpinning these predictions is a view of migration as essentially forced movement resulting from the failure to adapt to the impacts of climate change; as a consequence, an undifferentiated mass of displaced people is expected to move to unspecified destinations, including international ones. This prediction is hotly disputed, and while there is widespread agreement on the fact that the impacts of climate change will contribute to growing levels of mobility (GECHS 2008; Kniveton et al. 2008; Piguet 2008), the emphasis is on voluntary migration as a key adaptive response to a combination of factors, including environmental change but also socio-economic, cultural and political transformations. Just as important is the recognition of the diversity of migration, ranging from the international movement of highly skilled workers to poorer groups' seasonal mobility between rural areas. To understand the impact of migration on sending and destination areas, and to develop appropriate policy responses, it is therefore crucial to understand the specific characteristics of migrant flows, including their duration, destinations and composition.

The aim of this paper is to explore how a different approach to migration, one that supports and accommodates mobility, can contribute to adaptation …