Climate-Induced Migration as Forced Displacement: A Normative Reconstruction of State Responsibility in Indonesia and Nigeria

Abstract

Climate change has emerged as a structural driver of human mobility, yet existing legal frameworks remain inadequate to address migration caused by gradual and cumulative environmental degradation. This study examines the adequacy of international and national legal frameworks in responding to climate change-induced migration through a comparative normative analysis of Indonesia and Nigeria. Utilizing a normative legal research method that incorporates conceptual, statutory, and comparative approaches, the study examines refugee law, international environmental law, international human rights law, and relevant national legislation. The findings show that climate-induced migration is excluded from formal protection regimes due to event-based legal constructions and status-oriented protection. This study argues that adequate protection requires vulnerability-based approaches, recognition of cumulative environmental harm, and sustained state responsibility.