Can you describe the key questions that your thesis aimed to answer and how you went about answering them?

Essentially, my thesis investigates how slow-onset climate disasters, within the broader context of climate change, relate to forced displacement. For example, if a community that lives off agriculture is forced to relocate at some point because their region becomes increasingly too dry and barren due to changes in the climate, does that fall under the definition of forced displacement? This is, for instance, one of my initial questions in the thesis.

My thesis seeks to address two fundamental questions. Firstly, I aim to explore the present legal framework on forced displacement caused by slow-onset climate disasters within the European Union. Secondly, I investigate how the issue of climate displacement is constructed in the political discourse surrounding displacement. In other words, how are policymakers and stakeholders in the EU responding to the growing issue of slow-onset climate displacement?

At PPLE, the chosen thesis topic must involve a student's major - in your case Law - and a second of the four disciplines. Can you discuss the interdisciplinary approach you used in your research?

To answer my research question, I combined a legal doctrinal analysis of human rights with a political constructivist discourse analysis and reflected on how the interdependence of both dimensions determines the current protection offered to displaced persons.

The legal part provides a picture of the status quo: what rights can an individual who has been forced to migrate due to the slow onset of a climate disaster claim? Conversely, the analysis of political discourse provides a broader insight into the way society in general, governments and influential interest groups think and talk about this issue, also taking into account the outlook for the future. Only by combining the two disciplines, I was able to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the topic and pinpoint where the challenge lies.

Can you share some of the key findings of your research?

In my legal analysis I concluded that there currently is no legal framework that regulates internal migration due to slow-onset climate catastrophes and human rights only offer limited protection. I did find, however, that one document does give guidance in these cases: the ‘Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement’ by the UN. They are impactful because they inspire legislature and decision-makers worldwide, however they are not legally binding and thus not unequivocally interpretable.

That’s where I move on from the discipline of law to the discipline of politics: if there is no clear legal framework for regulating forced displacement due to slow-onset disasters, how do European politics and its key stakeholders deal with this phenomenon? I found that there recently has been a shift in the conversation: initially, the discourse on internal displacement mainly focussed on flight from direct violence and conflict. Recently, we saw a broadening of the discourse towards other factors, such as individual vulnerabilities, moving towards recognizing forced migratory movements due to slow-onset disasters. For example, the European Parliament has published a paper about the notion of climate refugees, in which internal migration due to slow-onset disasters is also mentioned.

However, it will take a great deal more to truly establish a comprehensive political response and legal framework to this phenomenon. Lawyers, politicians, decision makers need to come together and discuss how we can integrate this insight of increasing, slowly developing climate crisis into adequate policies and laws on migration and displacement.

How did it come about that your thesis was published?

Alongside my studies, I work for the European Renewable Energies Federation. During a conversation with our director, I spoke about the findings of my bachelor’s thesis. She replied that it would fit in well with the upcoming issue of Federations' affiliated journal. So, I got in touch with the journal, which deemed the topic interesting for their European readership. The next step was to turn my thesis into an edited, publication-ready version. Lucy Hall, my supervisor and PPLE’s Major Mentor for Politics, was a great help to me during this process. She advised me very well on which aspects to focus on and which aspects to save words on to make my thesis suitable for an academic readership. It was a great moment to receive the news that the editorial board had accepted my draft and knowing that my work would be published in an actual academic journal.

What would be your advice for students who want to write a good thesis and potentially get it published?

I think when it comes to writing a good thesis that has the potential to become an article, it's important to choose a topic that really tries to address a research gap and is of actual societal relevance. Naturally, this is also challenging, because you are working on the fringe of a research area, which means that there might be limited literature or ambiguities in defining key concepts.

At the same time, it is also very rewarding to work on an innovative topic. At the end, research aims to inform practise and becoming an expert on a specific topic is a great chance to get acquainted with leading scholars and stakeholders. My tip would be to trust the process: developing a new academic argument will take time and requires rearranging the different elements of your research. Remember that even if you are unsure in the beginning, sticking to the research process will help crystalizing your main messages at the end.

My recommendation would be to choose a relevant topic on which you can have a unique insight, where you can navigate key-experts and that sparks public interests. In my case, my work in a related field certainly helped bringing my research to a wider audience. Make it clear to your supervisor, to colleagues, to friends, to teachers that you are keen on this particular subject, and who knows, maybe it will lead to a publication, an internship, or a new opportunity of some other sort.