TITLE:
Climate Extremes (Flood and Drought) as Drivers of Irregular Youth Migration: Evidence from The Gambia
AUTHORS:
Demba Baldeh, Walter Leal Filho, Mamma Sawaneh, Alagie Bah
KEYWORDS:
Floods, Drought, Youth, Migration, Climate Change, Vulnerability
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.14 No.7,
July
14,
2026
ABSTRACT: Given its geographical location, The Gambia is ranked among the top 100 nations most susceptible to climate change. In recent years, the country has experienced increased frequency and intensity of floods, droughts, windstorms, high temperatures, coastal erosion, sea level rise, and erratic rainfall, which are impacting ecosystems and livelihoods. Climate-induced youth migration is a globally recognised fact and has become the main challenge of the 21st century, particularly in The Gambia, with 60% of its population being youth. In this paper, we evaluate the effects of climate extremes, focusing on the impact of floods and drought on the irregular migration of Gambian youth to the European Union. The evidence from the study showed that floods and drought are the key climate stressors that negatively impact rural livelihoods, thus exacerbating the mass migration of youth to Europe. North Bank and Central River are the most environmentally disrupted regions with the highest youth migration. The impact of climate extremes on livelihoods is also manifested in several ways, including the loss of fertile agricultural lands, leading to increased vulnerability of farming communities in rural areas. The paper concludes that climate extremes (floods and drought) induce irregular youth migration and thus require urgent attention.