John R. Campbell and Richard D. Bedford
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worst-case scenario of 0.98 m.
For those who live in PICs, the issue of climate change migration is real and bound to persist if not worsen. It is likely that continued habitation of many PIC sites will become increasingly marginal. The costs of adaptation are likely to rise and, thus far, there have been paltry indications of international willingness to cover the costs of loss and damage in comparison to the size of the problem. Most people in PICs want the option
to be migrants with dignity, moving as a result of their own decisions and free will.
While our knowledge of the links between climate change and migration is limited, this is not a reason to deny its possibility and its seriousness to the people who inhabit PICs. The few cases of international community relocation that do exist for the PIC region indicate that there is always considerable disruption for both the migrants and the landowners at the destinations (Campbell 2010). A vexed question for the Pacific concerns when climate change migration will become a prominent policy issue to be discussed between countries of likely origin
and possible destination, as well as between PICs and greenhouse gas emitting countries. As far as most of the PICs are concerned, the big emitters are responsible for covering the costs of migration as an adaptive response and perhaps providing opportunities for migration to people and communities induced or forced to move because of climate change.
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