Community-level decision making: Dealing with mobility Thematic Paper 4

Abstract

This paper describes the processes and structures that communities undertake in making decisions around mobility, environmental challenges, and climate change. Drawing on examples from the 17 communities in which primary research was undertaken, we provide insights into the factors that communities consider when facing the prospect of moving. Examples from communities that have relocated are useful in understanding the multidimensional features of mobility patterns. The research findings and themes provide evidence for place-based research that highlights the full continuum of mobility decision making within Pacific communities. Therefore, we argue that policies and understandings around climate mobility decision making need to move beyond simplistic mobility dichotomies such as ‘stay or go,’ or ‘mobile and immobile’ to consider a continuum of mobilities. In this way, policymakers will gain a greater appreciation of the multidimensional nature of decision making when designing and implementing mobility plans and policy interventions.