Bridging Climate, Migration, and Justice: Reflections from ECMN25
Yasmine Fakhry, Faculty Member and Senior Fellow, Institute for Migration Studies, School of Arts and Sciences
Attending the Environmental and Climate Mobilities Network’s third conference (ECMN25) in July was not only an academic encounter but also a deeply personal journey. The event illuminated how climate change, migration, health, food security, and gender are inseparably linked—and how approaching these intersections requires both analytical rigor and human-centered compassion.
At the conference, I presented recent research from the Institute for Migration Studies examining how armed conflict and environmental destruction—particularly the use of white phosphorus (WP)—have driven mass displacement and hindered return in South Lebanon since October 2023. Through interviews with farmers, agricultural workers, and key informants, the study documented severe damage to olive groves, crops, irrigation systems, livestock, and beehives, as well as indirect effects such as unharvested crops, new plant diseases, and psychological trauma. These losses have been compounded by reduced precipitation and rising temperatures, which have further lowered agricultural productivity. Communities once self-sufficient now face food insecurity, relying on bartering and solidarity networks. Return, when it happens, is partial and unsustainable. Farmers describe their lands as “poisoned” and irreversibly altered. The findings underscore that environmental destruction is not a temporary outcome of conflict but a structural barrier to return—amounting to what many describe as ecocide and slow violence. Women, in particular, face additional burdens of caregiving, economic strain, and social stigma, while internally displaced persons often fall through bureaucratic cracks compared to refugees. The study concludes that displacement in South Lebanon cannot be resolved without a genuine ceasefire, ecological remediation, livelihood support, and international accountability. Rebuilding lives and communities requires political will and recovery rooted in environmental and social justice.
One question raised during the discussion stayed with me: Can you tell us about environmental justice in Lebanon? My answer to that question came gradually, as the conference unfolded.
The sessions on health and well-being revealed how deeply displacement affects both body and mind. Polina Koriukina (Ghent University) discussed the overlapping physical and mental health challenges faced by climate migrants in Bangladesh, worsened by poverty and unsafe housing. Saeede Mokhtarzade (FAU University) described how dust storms in Khuzestan, Iran, have evolved into a human rights crisis, forcing internal migration and exposing legal voids. Charlotte Scheerens (Ghent University) showed how the 2021 floods in Belgium left deep psychological scars, while Darius Saviour Ankamah (AYCCA, Ghana) spoke of displaced communities maintaining resilience through solidarity networks. Finally, Ben Butlin (Trinity College Dublin) called for culturally adapted psychosocial interventions for children and youth, critiquing the “one-size-fits-all” approaches that often fail in low- and middle-income contexts. These global insights resonated with what I witnessed in South Lebanon. Displacement there is not only about scorched land and destroyed crops—it is also about humiliation, loss of dignity, and mental strain. Farmers described a profound disconnection from their land, their memories, and their identity. For them, mental health is not an afterthought but the foundation of survival and resilience.
The gendered dimensions of climate displacement were equally striking. Hanne Wiegel (Universidad de Chile) demonstrated how wildfires reshaped daily life in Chile, increasing women’s immobility and domestic responsibilities. Nandita Mathews (UNU-EHS) examined Kenya’s pastoral youth migration, where men move to cities while women and children remain behind with growing responsibilities. Jan Freihardt (ETH Zurich) explored how gender norms in Bangladesh influence decisions to move or stay, sometimes constraining women’s mobility, yet also revealing spaces of agency. These accounts mirrored what I observed in Lebanon. Under bombardment and displacement, women-led agricultural cooperatives—once vital for income and solidarity—were destroyed, leaving women doubly marginalized: economically excluded and socially isolated. Displacement and climate stress are never gender-neutral; women often bear the heaviest burdens in caregiving and food provision, yet their contributions to resilience remain undervalued.
Equally important were reflections on return and belonging. Ilse Ruyssen (Ghent University) encouraged scholars to move beyond the “mobility bias” in migration studies, showing that in West Africa, many people choose to stay in vulnerable areas out of attachment and trust in local institutions. Cécile Artigaud (Sorbonne Paris Nord University) demonstrated how migrants from Burkina Faso to Ghana maintain strong kinship ties and aspirations to return, reminding us that migration is rarely linear but deeply relational. In Lebanon, however, return is seldom voluntary. Farmers repeatedly told me, “Even if my house is gone, I can rebuild. But who can rebuild a tree?” Environmental destruction has created structural barriers to return—poisoned soils and decimated ecosystems make it not just economically unviable but emotionally devastating. Environmental displacement, in this sense, becomes permanent, even without crossing borders.
So, how can we speak of environmental justice in Lebanon? Justice begins with naming the harms that tie people to their land—scorched olive trees, collapsed cooperatives, and shattered futures. It means centering displaced farmers and women in both research and policymaking. And it must be anticipatory, looking ahead to the deepening convergence of climate change, migration, and food insecurity in the MENA region before resilience is eroded beyond repair. We cannot pursue justice for the environment without first pursuing justice for the people and lands that sustain it.
The conference ultimately reaffirmed that addressing global challenges requires integrated approaches. Health, gender, and food security are inseparable—progress in one area depends on progress in the others. ECMN25 also underscored that environmental violence is a major driver of displacement. When land becomes uninhabitable, return becomes impossible, revealing the long-term and irreversible nature of ecological destruction. True justice must therefore bridge the human and the ecological. It cannot be achieved by focusing solely on people, for the health of the planet and its food systems is inseparable from human survival and dignity.
For Lebanon and the wider MENA region, these are not abstract academic debates—they are questions of survival. To respond effectively, researchers, policymakers, and communities must build bridges between climate adaptation, humanitarian response, and social justice. Only then can we begin the journey toward justice—for people, for land, and for the generations that will inherit both.