Climate change impacts are worsening around the globe, prompting local governments to respond via adaptation. Structural protective adaptations continue to dominate the landscape and are preferred by local decision-makers and residents. Relocation, on the other hand, falls low on the list of local decision-makers priorities despite scholars warning that relocation may be the only viable and effective long-term strategy for reducing climate vulnerability. Relocation concepts are beginning to feature in national and international policy, however there is a gap in our understanding of how climate induced relocation is influenced by, and considered in, local government planning and policy tools. This review article synthesizes and assesses scholarship on local planning for climate induced relocation. Specifically, the authors address the following questions:
- What literature exists on local planning for relocation?
- How do local planning tools and policies influence the process and outcomes of relocation?
- What are the knowledge gaps in local planning for relocation?
The journal article can be accessed for free here.
Full citation:
Bonnett, N., Birchall, SJ. (2025). Local planning for climate induced relocation: A systematic review. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2024.105094.