The Need for Better Data: Climate-Induced Mobility, Urbanization, and Procedural Injustices in Zambia

Citation

Crawford NJW & Mattar SD (2023) The Need for Better Data: Climate-Induced Mobility, Urbanization, and Procedural Injustices in Zambia. In: Walker T, McGaughey J, Machnik-Kekesi G & Kelly V (eds.) Environmental Migration in the Face of Emerging Risks: Historical Case Studies, New Paradigms and Future Directions. 1 ed. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave, p. 51–75. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-29529-4_4

Abstract
Census data continues to be the primary source of migration data used by policymakers, researchers, and aid organizations to understand the risk of climate-induced mobility, such as sudden displacement due to extreme weather, and long-term rural–urban migration due to persistent drought and flooding. This chapter describes the temporal, spatial, and socio-economic limitations affecting the collection of census data and census-based analysis of climate-induced mobility, using Zambia as a case study to illustrate these challenges. Our findings underline the need for a renewed effort toward international cooperation in standardizing censuses, the allocation of resources to collect and analyze census data, and the adoption of a procedural justice approach to migration and displacement. This chapter will (i) describe the temporal, spatial, and socio-economic limitations affecting the collection of census data and census-based analysis of climate-induced mobility; (ii) examine Zambia as a case study to illustrate these challenges; and (iii) demonstrate the need for a renewed effort toward international cooperation in standardizing censuses, greater allocation of resources to enable more nuanced migration data, and adoption of procedural justice as an approach to improve data collection on migration and displacement. The urgency for better migration data will intensify as climate change displaces and forces migrations in the coming decades, particularly the movement of people to urban areas who lack protection and assistance, and such data will be a necessary prerequisite for the realization of procedural justice in informed and equitable decision-making on climate-induced mobility.