A place-based framework for assessing resettlement capacity in the context of climate change induced displacement

Place-based resettlement capacity assessments to identify potential resettlement places for climate migrants are needed to guide climate change related resettlement programs. The authors propose and validate a conceptual climate change resettlement capacity (CCRC) framework that could be used to identify potential resettlement places for climate change migrants. The CCRC framework focuses on livelihood reconstruction, as this is the primary aim of most resettlement programs, as well as ensuring successful resettlement and mitigating impoverishment of resettled people and communities.

The framework has two main dimensions – assets and conditions – as its foundation with a set of subdimensions and generic indicators identified for both of them. Expert evaluation was used to validate the framework. The framework is designed to assist international organizations, governments, planners, and policymakers in identifying both the most suitable and least suitable places to resettle communities in the face of actual or anticipated displacements due to climate change. In addition, the framework can be used by researchers to undertake theoretical and empirical studies on climate change induced resettlement. With minor modifications, the framework can also be applied to resettlement capacity assessments for non-climate resettlement programs and research.