In this episode, Leah Trotman chats with Pablo Escribano, the Regional Thematic Specialist at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for the Americas and the Caribbean on climate change and migration. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre reported that nearly 3 million people across the Caribbean and United States were displaced in 2017 due to Hurricanes Irma, Maria, and Harvey. With a rise in global warming, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) can expect an increase in sea levels, the severity and frequency of hurricanes, and other climate shocks that influence population movement. With a majority of the Caribbean’s population situated within 1.5 km of the coast, gaining a better understanding of what climate-induced migration looks like in the region is crucial.

Leah hails from the US Virgin Islands and is completing the Health and International Development programme at LSE. Leah is also the US Virgin Islands’ first Marshall Scholar and is also a Truman Scholar. At LSE, Leah focuses on the intersection of climate change and health in the Caribbean, a topic she began researching following her junior year in undergrad. Her most recent work looks at forced migration due to climate change and its impacts on youth mental health.