Environment and Migration, Evidence from Ethiopian.
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Date
2022-06-06
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A.A.U
Abstract
The issue of environmentally induced migration and displacement is a significant part of a
significant policy debate internationally. In Ethiopia, little attention has been given to policy
alternatives with regard to environmental degradation, although the severity of human life
associated with environmental problems has shown a dramatic increment over the last couple of
years. This paper aims to analyze the impact of the environment on both internal and
international migration stocks. Coefficients of explanatory variables that have an impact on
internal migration were estimated using static panel data models such as random effects
regression. The SYSTEM GMM estimation technique was applied to a gravity model of
international migration over the years 2000 to 2020. Based on the stata regression results, some
of the environmental variables were found to have a significant effect on both internal and
international migration. While standardized precipitation, sudden-onset hazards, slow-onset
hazards, and conflict have a significant correlation with internal migration, we could not find
any significant association between temperature anomalies and internal migration. The pooled
OLS regression results of the gravity model showed that the sudden-onset hazards ratio, slow onset hazards ratio, distance, GDP ratio, amenity index ratio, and political risk ratio had a
significant relationship with international migration. Based on the Arellano-Bover/Bond
estimation technique, distance, and GDP ratio(the two major gravity variables), slow-onset
hazards ratio, amenity index ratio, air pollution exposure, and political risk index turned out to
be significant. However, the effect of population ratio, unemployment ratio, and rainfall anomaly
index on international migration stock was not significant.