Migration in West Africa: a visual analysis of motivation, causes, and routes
Migration in West Africa has been taking place for centuries for different reasons. Many dimensions of migration remain insufficiently documented and poorly understood. In particular, factors of migration in destination areas and areas of origin are still lacking comprehensive analysis. In this pape...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Resilience Alliance
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Society |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol27/iss3/art16/ |
| _version_ | 1797997384021573632 |
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| author | Alina Schürmann Janina Kleemann Mike Teucher Christine Fürst Christopher Conrad |
| author_facet | Alina Schürmann Janina Kleemann Mike Teucher Christine Fürst Christopher Conrad |
| author_sort | Alina Schürmann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Migration in West Africa has been taking place for centuries for different reasons. Many dimensions of migration remain insufficiently documented and poorly understood. In particular, factors of migration in destination areas and areas of origin are still lacking comprehensive analysis. In this paper, we bring a new perspective to the model of push and pull factors of migration in West Africa by reviewing and analyzing interview-based case studies of migration related to Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria, as well as to the associated migration routes. The overall aim of this study was to determine the areas that individuals historically chose as destinations for migration and what they perceived to be the distinctive conditions in those areas. Hence, characteristic features about destination areas and areas of origin were identified and located in maps, whereas interrelationships among push and pull factors were illustrated by means of Sankey diagrams. With these tools, we provide a novel combination for visualizing the reasons for migration. The literature review emphasizes the complex relationships between different drivers of migration, with environmental and economic factors emerging as the most important drivers of migration in the focus countries. Moreover, the identified and mapped migration patterns suggest that individuals migrate mainly from the northern part of a particular country to its center or southern regions. This scientific approach shows that the spatial allocation of migratory movements can facilitate assessments on how to meet specific Sustainable Development Goals and to improve regional policies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T10:32:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-172514a0f9a844638d831482e337c9d3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1708-3087 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T10:32:06Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Resilience Alliance |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Society |
| spelling | doaj.art-172514a0f9a844638d831482e337c9d32022-12-22T04:29:24ZengResilience AllianceEcology and Society1708-30872022-09-012731610.5751/ES-13489-27031613489Migration in West Africa: a visual analysis of motivation, causes, and routesAlina Schürmann0Janina Kleemann1Mike Teucher2Christine Fürst3Christopher Conrad4Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Geosciences and Geography, Department of Geoecology, GermanyMartin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Geosciences and Geography, Department of Sustainable Landscape Development, GermanyMartin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Geosciences and Geography, Department of Geoecology, GermanyMartin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Geosciences and Geography, Department of Sustainable Landscape Development, GermanyMartin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Geosciences and Geography, Department of Geoecology, GermanyMigration in West Africa has been taking place for centuries for different reasons. Many dimensions of migration remain insufficiently documented and poorly understood. In particular, factors of migration in destination areas and areas of origin are still lacking comprehensive analysis. In this paper, we bring a new perspective to the model of push and pull factors of migration in West Africa by reviewing and analyzing interview-based case studies of migration related to Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria, as well as to the associated migration routes. The overall aim of this study was to determine the areas that individuals historically chose as destinations for migration and what they perceived to be the distinctive conditions in those areas. Hence, characteristic features about destination areas and areas of origin were identified and located in maps, whereas interrelationships among push and pull factors were illustrated by means of Sankey diagrams. With these tools, we provide a novel combination for visualizing the reasons for migration. The literature review emphasizes the complex relationships between different drivers of migration, with environmental and economic factors emerging as the most important drivers of migration in the focus countries. Moreover, the identified and mapped migration patterns suggest that individuals migrate mainly from the northern part of a particular country to its center or southern regions. This scientific approach shows that the spatial allocation of migratory movements can facilitate assessments on how to meet specific Sustainable Development Goals and to improve regional policies.https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol27/iss3/art16/area of origincausesdestination areadrivers of migrationmapmigration flowsmigration patternspush–pull modelsankey diagramssustainable development goalsreview |
| spellingShingle | Alina Schürmann Janina Kleemann Mike Teucher Christine Fürst Christopher Conrad Migration in West Africa: a visual analysis of motivation, causes, and routes Ecology and Society area of origin causes destination area drivers of migration map migration flows migration patterns push– pull model sankey diagrams sustainable development goals review |
| title | Migration in West Africa: a visual analysis of motivation, causes, and routes |
| title_full | Migration in West Africa: a visual analysis of motivation, causes, and routes |
| title_fullStr | Migration in West Africa: a visual analysis of motivation, causes, and routes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Migration in West Africa: a visual analysis of motivation, causes, and routes |
| title_short | Migration in West Africa: a visual analysis of motivation, causes, and routes |
| title_sort | migration in west africa a visual analysis of motivation causes and routes |
| topic | area of origin causes destination area drivers of migration map migration flows migration patterns push– pull model sankey diagrams sustainable development goals review |
| url | https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol27/iss3/art16/ |
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