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Does changing the narrative improve host community attitudes to climate migrants? Experimental evidence from Bangladesh

Author

Listed:
  • Ivar Kolstad
  • Sosina Bezu
  • Päivi Lujala
  • Minhaj Mahmud
  • Arne Wiig
Abstract
A number of studies suggest that our narratives about the situation of the poor and vulnerable affect how we view them and treat them. Theoretically, a potentially powerful way to make host communities more welcoming of climate migrants is to shift the blame for their situation away from the migrants themselves and onto other forces or agents. We present results from a randomized field experiment conducted among long term residents of host communities in the Satkhira district of Bangladesh. We exposed three treatment groups to narratives that shift the responsibility for climate migration towards natural forces, Westerns countries, and local authorities, respectively. Despite power to detect reasonably small effects, we find no positive effects of the narratives on attitudes to climate migrants. On the contrary, one treatment has a borderline negative effect on attitudes relative to the control group. Our results suggest caution in attempting to influence attitudes through attribution of blame to outside forces or third parties. Such narrative interventions may shift responsibility away from not just the migrants but also from the treated host community residents, and may increase social identification within the host community relative to outsiders.

Suggested Citation

  • Ivar Kolstad & Sosina Bezu & Päivi Lujala & Minhaj Mahmud & Arne Wiig, 2019. "Does changing the narrative improve host community attitudes to climate migrants? Experimental evidence from Bangladesh," CMI Working Papers 3, CMI (Chr. Michelsen Institute), Bergen, Norway.
    • Handle: RePEc:chm:wpaper:wp2019-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    4. M. Rezaul Islam & Mehedi Hasan, 2016. "Climate-induced human displacement: a case study of Cyclone Aila in the south-west coastal region of Bangladesh," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 81(2), pages 1051-1071, March.
    5. Marshall Burke & Solomon M. Hsiang & Edward Miguel, 2015. "Climate and Conflict," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 7(1), pages 577-617, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Walelign, Solomon Zena & Lujala, Päivi, 2022. "A place-based framework for assessing resettlement capacity in the context of displacement induced by climate change," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    2. Arne Wiig & Minhaj Mahmud & Ivar Kolstad & Päivi Lujala & Sosina Bezu, 2020. "Preparing to leave? Household mobility decisions in climate affected areas of coastal Bangladesh," CMI Working Papers 4, CMI (Chr. Michelsen Institute), Bergen, Norway.

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