Environmentální migrace na úrovni evropských měst

Abstract

Migration is a phenomenon that has been the subject of professional discussions for decades. It affects not only the labor market, but also the overall development of cities, regions and countries. Over time, a number of approaches have emerged that have sought to understand this process and define its basic nature and features. Attention was mainly focused on the socio-economic determinants of migration. Currently, attention is also focused on the environmental factors of migration, such as the consequences of climate change, environmental degradation, natural disasters or a polluted environment. A number of studies are devoted to air pollution as a "push" factor of migration. Some of these studies are focused on whether certain population groups have a higher propensity to migrate than others. An example would be college-educated people, which would mean that air pollution is a factor in leaving a highly skilled workforce. The empirical literature is dominated by studies from China, some of whose regions are among the most polluted areas in the world. The number of studies dealing with the relationship between polluted air and migration is significantly lower in the European context. At the same time, most studies focus on migration at the level of provinces, counties, regions or districts, while relatively few works deal with this relationship at the level of cities. Based on these findings, the aim of the dissertation thesis was identified. The aim of this work is to provide new and robust evidence on the impact of air pollution on migration at the level of European cities, thereby contributing to closing the identified research gap. The method of factor and regression analysis was applied to the data panel, which was compiled from data from the Eurobarometer, the European Environment Agency, Eurostat and national statistical offices. The results show that there is a statistically significant relationship between air pollution and migration. It shows that the results are different for future migration, and that the effect of air pollution on migration is not different in different types of cities.