Environmental change and human mobility: Opportunities and challenges of big data

This paper explores the use of big data in understanding population movements in the context of environmental change, with particular attention to publicly available information from social media and newspapers. After discussing causal factors, the paper discusses the benefits and challenges of using big data, and mathematical models that may help capture the complexity of human mobility in the context of environmental change. We conclude that big data can be an important part of a toolkit in discerning drivers of migration and displacement. It is no panacea, however; the paper discusses potential problems in its use, particularly if big data are analysed to prevent people from moving out of harm's way. Therefore, partnerships between computer scientists and subject matter experts and practitioners are essential to ensuring that what is gathered from big data is usable, credible, and protects the privacy and rights of those who may be displaced.