How Do Sustainable Livelihoods Influence Environmental (Non-) Migration Aspirations?

Every individual strives to improve their quality of life, and therefore, adopts strategies to cope with the adverse situation of their livelihood. The decision to migrate (i.e. migration) or to stay (i.e. non-migration) is one such strategy to combat unexpected disturbances to their livelihoods. This research assessed the relationship between socio-ecological systems (SES) and livelihood conditions and determined how a sustainable livelihood influences non-migration decisions of people living at risk. The field study employed a mixed-methods approach in five villages in southwest coastal Bangladesh. Findings revealed that livelihood options differ across SES settings and that (non-)migration aspirations mostly depend on livelihood adaptation options which shape the individual's sustainable livelihood status in the face of future disaster risk. Thus, understanding the SES settings will help in advocating for livelihood options regarding non-migration aspirations for people at risk.