The relationship between migration and climate change is also the focus of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation’s R&D project "Migration, climate change and development cooperation (MIGRACLIMA). Flows, impacts and policy coherence in the cases of Morocco and Senegal in relation to Spain." The project, ongoing for two years, is led by Joan Lacomba (UV) and Alexis Cloquell (Catholic University of Valencia) and is part of the UV’s Human Rights Institute. It includes researchers from various national and international universities and research centres.

Joan Lacomba, the principal investigator for the University of Valencia, is a professor in the Department of Social Work at the UV and the director of the InMIDE research group. Lacomba has contributed extensively to studies on migration in Senegal and Morocco, publishing his findings on the scientific popularisation platform The Conversation. The project highlights the increasingly perceptible environmental and human effects of climate change. As climate conditions transform, one of the most noticeable consequences is the rise in population displacement. This issue has been steadily gaining importance on international public agendas for years.

The overall goal of the MIGRACLIMA Project is to explore how Spanish development cooperation policies intersect with climate change and migration flows, taking Morocco and Senegal as case studies. The aim is to promote changes in public policies and in the development actions arising from them. The project combines policy analysis with field research in both countries. Initial results reveal a complex picture, showing that the impact of climate change on mobility is closely tied to economic, social and political transformations. Within this context, migration emerges both as a response to climate change and as an adaptation strategy to mitigate its effects.

Appendix caption:

• Degraded oasis in Morocco.