This paper reviews the effect of natural disasters on human mobility or migration. Although there is
an increase of natural disasters and migration recently and more patterns to observe, the
relationship remains complex. While some authors find that disasters increase migration, others
show that they have only a marginal or no effect or are even negative. Human mobility appears to be
an insurance mechanism against environmental shocks and there are different transmission channels
which can explain the relationship between natural disasters and migration. Moreover, migrants’
remittances help to decrease households’ vulnerability to shocks but also dampen their adverse
effects. The paper provides a discussion of policy implications and potential future research avenues.