ABSTRACT

The prevailing narrative on the Syrian Civil War attributes it to climate-induced migration resulting from a severe drought, which serves as a central link connecting climate change with the 2011 protests. However, limited research has involved interviews with Syrians, with most studies focusing on drought's meteorological aspects and estimated migrant numbers. Our interdisciplinary study we conduct surveys with 82 former Syrian farmers in Turkey, carry out 16 in-depth interviews, and analyse satellite images to explore land use activities. Our objective is to answer three questions: (1) How can we distinguish between 'forced displacement' and 'migration as an adaptive response' during the 2007–2009 drought in Syria and the subsequent civil war? (2) How do drought, land abandonment, and migration interact in Syria since 2006? (3) How can we enhance understanding of 'trapped' individuals, considering mobility restrictions in host countries rather than solely immobility in the country of origin? Our findings are threefold: firstly, Syrian farmers employed adaptive measures against drought before the war; secondly, land abandonment during the drought was less extensive than portrayed in literature linking climate, migration, and conflict; and finally, we emphasize that refugees may feel trapped even after leaving their homes.

摘要

关于叙利亚内战的普遍说法将其归因于严重干旱导致的气候引发的移民，这是气候变化与 2011 年抗议活动之间的核心联系。然而，对叙利亚人进行采访的研究有限，大多数研究都集中在干旱的气象方面和估计的移民人数。我们的跨学科研究对土耳其的 82 名前叙利亚农民进行了调查，进行了 16 次深度访谈，并分析卫星图像来探索土地利用活动。我们的目标是回答三个问题：（1）在2007-2009年叙利亚干旱和随后的内战期间，我们如何区分“被迫流离失所”和“作为适应性反应的移民”？(2) 干旱、土地撂荒、自 2006 年以来，移民和移民在叙利亚相互作用吗？(3) 我们如何才能加强对“被困”个人的理解，考虑到东道国的流动性限制，而不仅仅是原籍国的流动性限制？我们的发现有三个方面：首先，叙利亚农民在战前采取了适应性措施来应对干旱；其次，干旱期间土地废弃的范围没有气候、移民和冲突相关文献中描述的那么广泛；最后，我们强调，难民即使在离开家园后也可能会感到被困。干旱期间的土地废弃现象没有气候、移民和冲突相关文献中描述的那么广泛；最后，我们强调，难民即使在离开家园后也可能会感到被困。干旱期间的土地废弃现象没有气候、移民和冲突相关文献中描述的那么广泛；最后，我们强调，难民即使在离开家园后也可能会感到被困。