The Impact of Climate Change in the Northern Triangle and People’s Decision to Migrate to the United States

35 West

The threats from hurricanes, the losses to floods, and the lack of disaster preparedness all impact on people’s decisions in the Northern Triangle to migrate to the United States. Margarita R. Seminario sits down with Dr. Betilde Muñoz-Pogossian, Director of the Department of Social Inclusion at the Organization of American States to discuss her recent publication “Environmental Explanations of Central American Migration: Challenges and Policy Recommendations". This report underscores how exposed Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras are to climate events and how, compounded with lack of economic opportunities and security vulnerabilities, climate change impacts their decision to migrate to the United States. Furthermore, it provides specific policy recommendations on a whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach to respond to climate-related drivers of migration.