Rural migration in Bolivia: the impact of climate change, economic crisis and state policy

This paper describes migration dynamics and the impact of gradual environmental change on the livelihoods of people living in two very different areas of Bolivia. The first is the region of Northern Potosí on the high plateau, with a cold climate and an altitude of more than 3,000 metres, whose inhabitants are highland indigenous people who have lived there for thousands of years. Since colonial times, this region has been affected by economic crises, desertification and drought, and exclusion from state policies. It is considered the poorest region of Bolivia and has the highest rate of out-migration in the country. The second area is San Julián in the Amazon lowlands, with a tropical climate and an altitude of less than 300 metres, whose inhabitants are indigenous and non-indigenous migrants. In recent years, this region has been favoured by state policies and it is currently considered one of the main destinations for migrants due to the agro-export economy based on soya.

The research examined a wide range of factors that may trigger migration, including the possible influence of climate change and public policies. The key challenge was to understand current patterns of migration, the processes involved and the social, cultural, economic and political causes and effects, taking into account issues that are increasing in importance, such as climate change, and seeking to discover the extent of their influence in the midst of other factors that drive migration. The authors show that mobility has long been an essential component of livelihoods in both locations, but there are major differences in the duration and destinations of migration and in the composition of the migrant flows. These differences are determined by socioeconomic and cultural factors such as limited local non-farm economic opportunities and restricted access to land, which make it difficult to diversify income sources. This is especially the case for young people, who are the largest proportion of migrants in both research locations.

Section I analyzes migration in the historical context of the pre-Hispanic, colonial and republican eras. Section II describes the geographical characteristics of Bolivia, including the influence of environmental and climate change processes. Section III describes the current environmental and socioeconomic features of the two regions studied. On the environmental side, the diversity of ecological levels and climate variability are described in greater detail. On the socioeconomic side, the description includes the characteristics of each region’s population, its particular history and levels of poverty. Section IV addresses the issue of migration in Northern Potosí and discusses causes, destinations, objectives and effects of migration and the characteristics of the migrants themselves. Section V looks at in-migration and out-migration in the municipality of San Julián with regard to causes, destinations, objectives and effects. Section VI considers the influence of public policies on migration processes and how migration and climate change are included in state policies, and Section VII presents conclusions and recommendations on how to address policy issues related to migration, taking into account the influence of the economy, environmental changes and climate change.