Trade as adaptation: A critical discourse analysis of the environment-migration nexus in the Netherlands

The ways in which actors conceptualize and communicate about the environment-migration nexus is fundamental in world politics. The contemporary discourse on the relationship between migration and the environment is predominantly manifested within an adaptation framework. The Netherlands is, because of its reputation in adaptation, a unique case to analyze the ‘politics of causal claims’ with regard to the environment-migration nexus. By conducting a critical discourse analysis on policy documents and websites, this paper contributes to the literature on political ecology by examining how and why the relationship between migration and the environment is conceptualized in the discourse of the Dutch government. This analysis reveals that in the discourse of the Dutch government, a discursive subject has been created that is deemed to migrate in the light of environmental change. Exporting Dutch expertise in adaptation is presented as the solution to the ‘future threat’ of climate...Show moreThe ways in which actors conceptualize and communicate about the environment-migration nexus is fundamental in world politics. The contemporary discourse on the relationship between migration and the environment is predominantly manifested within an adaptation framework. The Netherlands is, because of its reputation in adaptation, a unique case to analyze the ‘politics of causal claims’ with regard to the environment-migration nexus. By conducting a critical discourse analysis on policy documents and websites, this paper contributes to the literature on political ecology by examining how and why the relationship between migration and the environment is conceptualized in the discourse of the Dutch government. This analysis reveals that in the discourse of the Dutch government, a discursive subject has been created that is deemed to migrate in the light of environmental change. Exporting Dutch expertise in adaptation is presented as the solution to the ‘future threat’ of climate-induced migration. A paradigm shift within the neoliberal framework of Dutch development policies allowed adaptation to become instrumentalized as a business case to tap into emerging economies abroad. Future research could therefore shed light on whether a ‘trade as adaptation’ narrative exist or whether the Netherlands is a sui generis entity.Show less

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Trade as adaptation: A critical discourse analysis of the environment-migration nexus in the Netherlands