Il migrante “ambientale”, tra nuove configurazioni delle migrazioni transnazionali ed evoluzione delle dinamiche demografiche

This paper deals with the current configuration of transnational migrations, analysed to- gether with the evolution of the global demographic structures, that show an increasin- gly wider gap between the more developed countries and the less developed ones in terms of population increase and rates. Moreover, the paper aims at analysing in depth a specific category of the contemporary migrants, namely the so-called «environmental». Strictly linked to the relationship between natural ecosystems and human actions, the environmental migrant can be regarded as one of the most evident signs of the ever-la- sting natural deterioration, due to highly debated phenomena such as the global war- ming and the related increase of the sea level. What is more, the environmental migrant seems to exemplify the controversial relationship among demographic structures, socio- economic processes and migratory projects, since it is widespread especially in less de- veloped countries, characterised by growing population rates and fragile ecosystems, su- ch as the Southern Asia ones. However, the paper examines the topic with a critical ap- proach, in order to understand if the migration flows occurred after a natural catastrophe can be regarded as dependent exclusively on the disaster or rather on already existing migratory reasons, linked to the economic and social levels achieved by the affected country.