The Influence of Discourses of Vulnerability and Resiliency on Climate Change Migrants' Agency: 'Migration With Dignity' in Kiribati

This research paper presents a critical review of scholarly and policy literature discussing the relationship between climate change and migration. Focusing specifically on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the climate change discourses of vulnerability and resiliency as they commonly operate are explored. A case study of Kiribati – a low-lying SIDS in the Pacific – is used to illustrate the complexities of climate change and the migration decisions of populations presently experiencing climate change. A discourse analysis focusing on how different stakeholders’ understandings of Kiribati as vulnerable and resilient influence the agency and migration decisions of the people of Kiribati is conducted. This research utilizes concepts from climate justice theoretical literature as a framework for understanding vulnerability, resiliency, and responses to climate change.