PROJECT INFORMATION
Immobility in a changing climate (ITHACA)
Principal investigator (PI):
Patricia Pinho, Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazonia, Brasília – DF, Brasil
Contact – Email: patricia.pinho@ipam.org.br
Duration & amount:
(April 2023 – April 2026). USD 150,000
Participating countries:
Brazil, Ghana, Mozambique, Sweden and USA
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
ITHACA is a 3-year Belmont Forum project that addresses the overlooked area of immobility (voluntary or involuntary) as a potential mechanism for adaptation under a changing climate. The project will shed urgent light on two specific aspects: the reasons to stay (by choice or constraints) and the reasons people return after being affected by climate impacts. We ask ourselves: what are life chances for those who stay? Are there new opportunities? How much potential is lost or reduced by climate warming? What kind of policies and capacities need to be developed for those who stay and those who return? Are there cases where climate policy support will not be provided for returning people?
ITHACA presents novel methodologies to empirically study immobility in five case studies of coastal urban sites globally (Bahamas, Brazil, Ghana, Mozambique, and Sweden) led by local researchers and facilitated by the Belmont Forum in each nation. With the Consortium Lead based at LUCSUS, ITHACA is also a collaboration between natural and social sciences with a focus on interdisciplinary aspects of social sciences, governance, and human-centric approaches to climate change vulnerability. Building on the aspiration/capability framework, the project focuses on the evaluation of well-being in terms of people’s capabilities to preserve and improve things of value. The focus on immobility is also vital for future governance. Immobile populations will require diverse support and finance to cope with climate extremes and processes. We examine the role of national and international finance and support for immobile populations to develop capabilities and resilience. We contextualize the project within highly vulnerable but overlooked ”hotspots” in coastal urban sites already experiencing loss and damage. The project presents novel policy findings and tools relevant to the UNFCCC Global Stock Take, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 10,11, 13, and 16), and the Global Compact on Migration.
