The impacts of environmental change on UK internal migration

After a short summary of the main current drivers of internal migration in the UK, the paper discusses likely future migration patterns and processes under different social scenarios. It then anticipates the effects of environmental change on these migration flows. The main conclusion is that the impacts will probably be relatively minor; the UK is considered to be extremely well placed to adjust to climate change without a major redistribution of its population. A minor exception to this is that greater river and coastal flooding is likely to render some areas hazardous to settlement and/or very costly to protect. And crucial to successful adaptation is good governance, specifically a strong state that can plan and execute major environmental infrastructures, and can respond quickly and decisively to environmental challenges.