Analysis of the Article Climate Change, Migration and Governance by Dr. Susan Martin - Assignment Example

Martin, Susan. Climate Change, Migration and Governance: Global Governance 16 (2010), 397–414 Question One The rhetorical stance of the article The author of the article, Dr. Susan Martin, is an Associate professor of International Migration and is serving in the Institute for the study of International Migration as the Executive Director in the Edmund Walsh Foreign Service School in Georgetown University. Dr. Martin has served in the United States Commission on Immigration Reform as the Executive Director, and is also an expert on refugee and immigration policy. Dr. Susan Martin made final reports in September 1997 to Congress and issued recommendations to reform refugee and immigration policy in order to help communities and newcomers in reinvigorating United States leadership in the policy for refugee, and restructure the responsible federal agencies for immigration policy implementation. Before joining the staff commission, Dr. Susan Martin was the Director of Programs and Research at the Group of Refugee Policy based in Washington for United States analysis and international programs and refugee policy. Susan Martin was at the American Studies Department an Assistant Professor and Lecturer for American Civilization History at the University of Pennsylvania. Susan Martin has authored other articles including Refugee Women and immigration and refugee policy. Dr. Susan Martin received M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and B.A. from Rutgers University. Susan Martin’s biography and expertise in immigration and climate change is a source of confidence and trust in this article. She has wide experience and has led many programs and initiative in the United States. The journal article was published in the year 2010 and had a sole purpose of educating and informing people on global governance, particularly climate change and migration. This is also a source of trust in the information and validity of the research. The intended audience of the journal article are the refugees, environmental immigrants and those in leadership especially governments where immigration policies are implemented. The article is a scholarly article directed to a specialized group mentioned, refugees, environmental immigrants and policy makers. The author is not bias at all in the article because she has included the interests of all audience from refugees, to environmental immigrants, and to policy makers. For example in (Martin 398), she addresses the policy makers on managing environmentally induced migration and the challenges involved. Dr. Susan Martin makes appeal to the audience on the potential impact, on migration patter, of climate change. She also appeals to the existing capacities of addressing and discussing forms of movement and gaps in governance. The author concludes her article by recommending means of handling climate change, induced migration. Question two Response to the author’s points and sensibility of her arguments, ideas, and findings Dr. Susan Martin has addressed in her article the existing capacities of discussing gaps in governance and addressing forms of movement. She has went ahead to recommend how to address climate change and induced migration. These are very sensible and real facts displayed in the article. For example in (Martin 398-399), the author addresses the paths through which environmental change may impact either directly on migration or in combination with other factors most likely. She asserts that, “Intensification of natural disasters, such as hurricanes and cyclones that destroy housing and livelihoods and require people to relocate for shorter or longer periods; increased warming and drought that affects agricultural production, reducing people’s livelihoods and access to clean water; rising sea levels that render coastal areas uninhabitable; and competition over natural resources that may lead to conflict, which in 
turn precipitates displacement” (Martin 398). These are sensible arguments posed in the article. Dr. Susan Martin goes ahead and addresses the resilience and vulnerability of the situation enclosed in quotes. She argues that the ability to adapt or cope with them determines the extent to which majority of people may be forced to migrate. I support this argument. Question three Critical stance and possible gaps in the argument Dr. Susan Martin has addressed the title, climate change, migration and governance, intensively. This is because she has made claims on the vulnerability of the situations leading to migrations and climate change. For example, she says “Adaptation to the adverse effects of climate change and the potential impacts of response measures is a challenge faced by all countries. Enhanced action and international cooperation on adaptation is urgently required to ensure the implementation of the Convention by enabling and supporting the implementation of adaptation actions aimed at reducing vulnerability and building resilience in developing countries, especially in those that are particularly vulnerable, especially least developed countries, small island developing States and Africa” (Martin 401). I therefore have no possible doubts that Dr. Susan Martin has addressed the subject matter and any possible gaps well. She has also gone ahead and recommended how climate change, induced migration can be addressed. For example she says in the conclusion that, “…Given the current gaps, more attention needs to be placed on identifying and testing new frameworks for managing potential movements. Attention needs to be given to both sides of the environment and migration nexus: identifying adaptation strategies that allow people to remain where they currently live and work, and identifying resettlement strategies that protect people’s lives and livelihoods when they are unable to remain” (Martin 410). Question four Evidence from the article that seem most convincing Dr Susan Martin has detailed, in her article, very convincing evidence on climate change, migration and governance. She has talked about the availability of coping capacities and livelihood in the regions affected which determines generally the form and scale of migration that may be witnessed. This is very evident and convincing because the slow onset events like rising sea levels and intensified drought has the lowest urgency to migrate compared to natural disasters like cyclones, hurricanes, and typhoons, or human conflicts and disasters, because environment as well as the harm in it changes more slowly. Migration may also be the best available alternative even in very slow onset situation when alternative livelihoods, within a reasonable frame of time, are not available. In addition, the author has given evidence that is very convincing on the ways through which environmental change may impact either directly on migration or in combination with other factors most likely. For example she asserts that, “Intensification of natural disasters, such as hurricanes and cyclones that destroy housing and livelihoods and require people to relocate for shorter or longer periods; increased warming and drought that affects agricultural production, reducing people’s livelihoods and access to clean water; rising sea levels that render coastal areas uninhabitable; and competition over natural resources that may lead to conflict, which in 
turn precipitates displacement” (Martin 398). Question five The least convincing evidence Although the author is very convincing with the evidence she has provided in the article. I did not get very convinced when the author stated that “The more positive impacts occur when migration is a voluntary coping strategy that allows people time to weigh alternatives and use migration as a way to reduce household risk” (Martin 399). I am not fully convinced because in most cases, people do not wish to relocate voluntarily except when they are forced to due to natural disasters and competition for scarce resources. Question six How the source change my thinking on the topic My thinking of the topic has been slightly changed by the source in that most induced migrations are environmental and this results into mass emergency movements and require large scale assistance from humanitarian. I was not very much aware of the need to conserve the environment, but after reading this article, my thinking has changed and I now stand for positive environmental conservation due to the adverse negative effects climate change have on people. Question seven What I understand better now that I have read this source Through this article, I now understand much better the ways through which environmental change may impact either directly on migration or in combination with other factors most likely. I also understand the negative impacts of climate change and migration especially on the receiving communities, which has to absorb spontaneous migrants. I also understand possible recommendations that need to be carried out. For example “…Given the current gaps, more attention needs to be placed on identifying and testing new frameworks for managing potential movements. Attention needs to be given to both sides of the environment and migration nexus: identifying adaptation strategies that allow people to remain where they currently live and work, and identifying resettlement strategies that protect people’s lives and livelihoods when they are unable to remain” (Martin 410). Question eight How the source compare with other things you have read on this topic The source compares similarly to the other things I have read in this topic. Things like ways through which environmental change may impact on migration, the negative impacts of climate change and migration especially on the receiving communities, and the possible recommendations that need to be carried. These have been quoted in the previous questions. Question nine Possibilities for research that exist regarding this topic After reading this article, I have noticed a lot of information and evidences on the topic. However, I still think there is a possibility for research existing concerning this topic. I think more research needs to be carried out on the prevention measures of climate change and migration. I also think more research on causative measures is needed and more recommendations should be suggested for this particular topic in research. Works Cited Martin, Susan. Climate Change, Migration and Governance: Global Governance 16 (2010), 397 414 Read More