Migration has always been one of the ways how people adjust to shifting environments. Human population growth and all of its consequences, such as increasing energy and land use or pollution, are undoubtedly the driving forces of changing weather conditions. The number of extreme weather events over the last decades has significantly increased, and news about hurricanes, tsunamis, and tornadoes regularly hit the headlines, but the gradual changes of our environment are likely to have a much bigger impact in the long term. Of course, socio economic changes and trends exist without any extreme weather events or climatic effects, and their impact is difficult to distinguish from other economic and demographic phenomena. There are a lot of unknowns and variables in the equation. The success of future mitigation experiments and the adapting ability of humanity move on an unprecedented scale. The present issue of In Focus aims to provide an overview of the complex relationship between climate change and human mobility, considering the underlying socio-economic and political processes of the given region. Please accompany us on this thoughtprovoking global journey.
