Working paper

Cambodian Migration to Thailand: The Role of Environmental Shocks and Stress

Author

Maryann Bylander

Date
January
2016
Abstract:

This report uses nationally representative data from Cambodia to analyze the links between environmental shocks or stress and international migration. More specifically it asks whether village reports of flood, drought, and poor rainfall in 2008 are associated with household out-migration to Thailand in the following year, and what factors mediate these relationships. Results of multivariate logistic regression models suggest clear associations between international migration to Thailand and (1) reported drought in the previous year, (2) reported poor rainfall in the previous rainy season, and (3) household crop loss from the previous harvest. These results suggest the importance of environmentmigration links in the Cambodian context, and the need for further research to unpack the complexity of environment-migration connections.