Climate Variability & Migration: Some Evidence from Thailand

ABSTRACT: In analysis of longitudinal data about migration behavior in rural northeastern Thailand, we examine the association of migration behavior with patterns of NDVI signals to estimate exposure to non-modal clusters over varying periods of retrospective time. Our hazard model approach indicates significantly different associations between rural out migration and return migration depending on the length of the temporal lens. We offer explanations for our findings in a review of literature about risk and rural livelihoods and evidence from several forays into the field to collect qualitative data.