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MIGRAWARE (MIGRAWARE)

Project MIGRAWARE completed ·

The MIGRAWARE project aims to identify and analyse historical, current and future migration movements in West Africa. This study will be conducted against the background of the various drivers of migration. These include economic, social, political and demographic factors, but also environmental factors such as climate change. This is seen as an important aspect in migration decisions. Changing precipitation patterns lead to growing challenges and, in particular, to increasing food and fodder insecurity.

Background and goals

The objective of MIGRAWARE is to provide a scientific and technical framework for assessing the processes, drivers and factors of rural-urban and cross-border migration in West Africa. MIGRAWARE will propose governance tools to alleviate migration needs, improve local livelihoods and strengthen human-environment interactions. The project aims to identify the typical migration pathways and histories that comprise the movement from the structurally weak hinterland to urban agglomerations and other places, so that governance instruments can be tailored for the local, national and intergovernmental (cross-border) levels. An overarching goal is to better protect people and the environment against the consequences of climate change and global change.

Methodological approach

A mix of methods is used for the study. Spatial data, interviews and social media data are analysed to identify and record migration patterns. On this basis, models are developed that reflect the spatio-temporal trends of migration flows.

Expected results

Based on these and other findings, governance measures and tools will be developed to reduce migratory pressures and improve local livelihoods. In addition, all results and models will be incorporated into a freely available software for analysing migration trends and drivers, which can also be used for other regions.
The results will flow into the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL). The centre is a joint initiative of the BMBF and partners from eleven West African countries in the field of climate change and sustainable land management.