Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Diego A. Martin
Author-Workplace-Name: Harvard's Growth Lab
Author-Name: Jose Ramon Morales Arilla
Author-Workplace-Name: Center for International Development at Harvard University
Author-Name: Alvaro Morales
Title: Escaping from hardship, searching for comfort: Climate matching in refugees’ destination choices
Abstract: Do refugees settle in destinations that are ecologically similar to their origins? We assess the relevance of “climate matching” theories of migration for Venezuelan refugees in South America. Leveraging social media data, we build and validate the first local bilateral matrix of Venezuelan flows across the region. We measure bilateral ecological similarities in terms of temperature, precipitation, elevation, and distance to the coastline. Performing Poisson Pseudo-Maximum Likelihood gravity models of migration, we show that Venezuelan flows are more likely between ecologically similar areas. Model predictions explain independent measurements of Venezuelans’ settlement choices at both bilateral and destination levels. 
Creation-Date: 2024-10
Classification-JEL: F2, O15, R23
Keywords: Refugees, Mass migration, Climate matching, Gravity migration models, Social media
Number: 237
Handle: RePEc:glh:wpfacu:237
File-Url: https://growthlab.hks.harvard.edu/sites/projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/2024-10-glwp-237_climate_matching_refugees_0.pdf
File-Format: application/pdf