New Regional Formations
Transcrição
New Regional Formations
Changing environmental conditions and dynamic migration systems in coastal regions set the stage for research on the relationship between these two realms. In the context of climate change, this field of studies has recently gained significant attention. Project Consortium The current state of research suggests that environmental factors alone are not able to explain the dynamics in migratory systems. These can only be understood in their local and regional contexts, taking political, social, economic, and cultural factors into account. Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology (ZMT), Bremen (Prof. Dr. Hildegard Westphal, SP1: Environmental change, and Prof. Dr. Achim Schlüter, SP4: Economic strategies) artec Sustainability Research Center, University of Bremen (Prof. Dr. Michael Flitner, Dipl. Geogr. Johannes Herbeck, SP5: Policy responses) Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities (KWI), Essen (Prof. Dr. Volker Heins, SP 2: Risk cultures) Institute of Geographical Sciences, Centre for Development Studies, Free University of Berlin (PD Dr. Felicitas Hillmann, SP 3: Migrant trajectories) Partners and Advisors Prof. Dr. Mariama Awumbila, Centre for Migration Studies, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana Dr. Silja Klepp, artec Sustainability Research Center, University of Bremen, Germany Associate Prof. Dr. Muh Aris Marfai, Faculty of Geography, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Yogyakarta, Indonesia Economic strategies Policy responses Dr. Ernst Spaan, Nijmegen International Center for Health System Research and Education, Radboud University Nijmegen, NL Risk cultures Migrant trajectories Environmental change Apl. Prof. Dr. Theo Rauch, Institute of Geographical Sciences, Free University of Berlin, Germany New Regional Formations Cecilia Tacoli, Senior Researcher, International Institute for Environment and Development, London, UK Associate Prof. Dr. Ton van Naerssen, Nijmegen Centre for Border Research (NCBR), Radboud University Nijmegen, NL Contacts Prof. Dr. M. Flitner (Spokesperson) Dipl.-Geogr. J. Herbeck (General project coordinator) artec Sustainability Research Center University of Bremen 28359 Bremen, Germany Phone: +49-421-218-61833 < [email protected] > The project is supported by: PD Dr. F. Hillmann (Coordinator migration research) Institute of Geographical Sciences Free University of Berlin Malteserstr. 74-100 12249 Berlin, Germany Phone: +49-30-838-70120 < [email protected] > New Regional Formations Coastal regions are at the centre Rapid environmental change and migration in coastal regions of Ghana and Indonesia same time, coasts are continuously of two key challenges for today’s societies: environmental change and migration. They are traditionally both origins and destinations of migratory movements. At the transformed by geomorphological, climatic and other forces. This ongoing change is expected to increase with global warming. Objectives Research Areas Subprojects This research project focuses on how environmental changes and respective risk cultures intersect with evolving migration patterns (such as migrant trajectories), economic strategies of households, and policy responses, to create differing sets of constraints and opportunities for “new regional formations”. These are characterised by a range of different actors, negotiation arenas, policies and concrete adaptation measures that are emerging along with environmental change. The coastline of eastern Ghana where the city of Keta is located has experienced substantial coastal erosion in the course of the 20th century. The construction of major dams on the adjacent Volta River is believed to have accelerated the dramatic recession of the coastline from the 1960s onwards by reducing the amount of sediments transported to the coast. Diverse technological and environmental adaptation strategies have been adopted, shifting environmental stress to other regions or actors. SP 1: Environmental change The reconstruction of changes in the coastal environment over the last decades provides the basis for investigating their role as background condition for emerging regional formations. The changes in coastline morphology and in availability of resources (agriculture, marine resources) are caused by a combination of natural forces and anthropogenic processes. The research questions focus on the specific drivers and dynamics in the two research regions which are studied in parallel to provide a basic understanding of their role in each of the regional contexts. Over the past decades, population has notably grown in urban areas of low- and middleincome countries, and growth has concentrated on low-lying coastal regions. Small to moderate-sized cities have experienced particularly high growth rates and have been integrated into existing mobility regimes. We therefore focus on such smaller and medium-sized urban agglomerations situated along coastal strips that experience ongoing, massive changes of their morphology and ecosystems: the eastern coast of Ghana and the northern coast of Java (Indonesia). Both regions are part of dynamic migratory systems and also nodal points of international migration trajectories. In the Semarang district of Central Java, the coast is characterised by substantial land subsidence, which is attributed to a number of factors such as consolidation of alluvium soils, excessive groundwater extraction and massive construction works. This is associated with a rising occurrence of tidal flooding in urban settlements along the shoreline, resulting in land and infrastructure losses. SP 2: Risk cultures The subproject studies risk cultures as a second background condition for the emergence of new regional formations. It is assumed that they are also subject to gradual change, and the project will look at the circumstances that might lead some of the affected groups to embrace new, potentially less localised systems of meanings. These can influence regional adaptation policies, migration patterns, economic strategies and broader institutional change. SP 3: Migrant trajectories This subproject concentrates on migrant patterns and trajectories as a constitutive part of emerging regional formations. It is assumed that patterns of migration are non-linear and not directly driven by geomorphological changes in the regions, but culturally and institutionally mediated in the regional context. The research focuses on key characteristics of migration in the two coastal regions, looking at migration drivers, consequences for the transformation of those regions, and connections to national and global circuits, including diasporas. SP 4: Economic strategies of households Given that there is no uniform societal response towards changes in the ecological system, this subproject studies individual and collective responses and strategies of households as they are shaped by highly specific cultural and socio-economic contexts. The research acknowledges the complex realities of contemporary migration and concentrates on the economies and the risk portfolios of livelihood systems, extending from traditional fisheries to international remittances. SP 5: Policy responses The processes leading to the emergence of regional formations are influenced by new transnational actors and networks, including non-governmental organisations and diasporic communities. Research suggests that such new actor constellations and according institutions can influence adaptation policies in a substantial manner. The project investigates in how far this creates new options for increased participation and inclusion, and what could be strategies to obviate new forms of political marginalisation.