Poverty, Migration, and Marginalization: Socioeconomic Consequences of Climate‐Induced Land Degradation in Sub‐Saharan Africa

ABSTRACT Land degradation, climate variability, and socioeconomic marginalization are increasingly intertwined challenges across Sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA), undermining food security, rural livelihoods, and ecological stability. This study develops a comprehensive decision‐support framework to identify and prioritize sustainable intervention strategies addressing the nexus between land degradation, poverty, and migration. Using a hybrid multi‐criteria decision‐making approach integrating the Delphi method, Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (Fuzzy AHP), and Fuzzy VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (Fuzzy VIKOR). The Delphi process was conducted over three iterative rounds to refine the criteria, sub‐criteria, and strategies. The Fuzzy AHP analysis identified the environmental (weight = 0.214), social (weight = 0.191), and marginalization (weight = 0.175) dimensions as the most influential criteria. The environmental dimension emphasized ecosystem integrity, soil productivity, and vegetation health as foundations for agricultural stability and ecological resilience. The social dimension highlighted community cohesion, adaptive capacity, and institutional support as key determinants of household vulnerability and migration decisions. The Fuzzy VIKOR analysis further prioritized intervention alternatives, identifying Migration Management and Social‐Protection Mechanisms (Q = 0.019), Livelihood Diversification and Non‐Farm Employment (Q = 0.029) as the top strategies offering the most balanced compromise between sustainability, feasibility, and social inclusiveness. These findings emphasize that effective responses to land degradation must integrate livelihood security and migration‐sensitive measures alongside ecological restoration.