OSU Today

CORVALLIS, Ore.— David Wrathall, an assistant professor in Oregon State University’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, will talk about how climate change affects human migration Monday, April 8, at Science Pub Corvallis. The presentation will start at 6 p.m. at the Old World Deli, 341 2nd St. in Corvallis.

The key dynamics that unfold under different climate change scenarios — the timing of future migrations, likely destinations, and the volume and condition of migrants, will be influenced by local, national or international policies. When indigenous farmers are forced to migrate because they can no longer stay in a place thanks to regional drought, or a family volunteers to move because their house may be flooded regularly, those policies can determine when they can move and where they should move to.  

“It is crucial to identify the type of information that can help decision-makers identify and evaluate the interventions that will minimize consequences for the people who will inevitably migrate as the climate shifts,” says Wrathall, a geographer who studies risk, resilience and adaptation related to climate change.

Science Pub is free and open to the public, but due to its continuing popularity, registration is required. People can register online at https://beav.es/Zw5 by calling University Events at 541-737-4717. If registration is closed (fully booked), walk-ins are welcome, but people who arrive without a ticket will not be admitted to the reserved seating area until 6 p.m.

Podcasts of previous Corvallis Science Pub events on topics such as “Technology in the Fields” and “From Wolves to the Warning to Humanity: Facing the Environmental Crisis through Science” are available at http://communications.oregonstate.edu/podcast.

Sponsors of Science Pub include Terra magazine at OSU, the Downtown Corvallis Association and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

For accommodations for disabilities or questions, contact University Events at 541-737-4717 or [email protected]