Environmental Migrations: A Social and Philosophical Approach in Latin America and the Caribbean

Objective: The objective of this study is to present to the field of Climate and Human Sciences some of the meanings, scope and consequences of the phenomenon of Environmental Migration in Latin America and the Caribbean. Theoretical Framework: This is an interpretative and comprehensive approach to philosophical hermeneutics, specifically drawn from Gadamer (2002). The research focuses on Latin American and Caribbean countries that have faced significant climate events and famine in the last 30 years. Method: This essay is characterized by its qualitative nature, by broadening meanings and recognizing aspects denied by essentialist epistemologies and methodologies. Some questions arise: how can we define environmental migration and what is its scope in the context of a region that is going through profound problems? Which extreme events appear more frequently and force these migrations? To what extent can Environmental Education (EE) contribute to this problem in order to mitigate the impact of Environmental Migration? Results and Discussion: The results mainly revealed a correlation between poverty, disasters and the need to migrate. There is an urgent need to promote discussions and reflections on migration, as well as the ways in which Environmental Education can contribute, helping the subject's autonomy within society, as well as strengthening and creating Public Policies aimed at climate migrants. Originality/Value: Innovative by applying an interdisciplinary approach, combining elements of environmental sociology and popular education to analyze environmental migration in Latin America and the Caribbean. It also demonstrated how Popular Environmental Education can be an effective tool in migration studies.