Climate-induced migration and rural household resilience in Zimbabwe: A conceptual analysis

Climate change is increasingly reshaping rural livelihoods in Zimbabwe. Recurrent droughts, erratic rainfall, rising temperatures, and declining agricultural productivity have intensified livelihood vulnerability and encouraged migration as a coping and adaptation strategy. This study examines the relationship between climate-induced migration and rural household resilience in Zimbabwe. The study adopts a qualitative desktop research design based on secondary data. Fifty (50) sources were initially identified from major academic databases and institutional repositories, and purposive screening using relevant keywords resulted in the selection of thirty (30) sources for analysis. Data were analysed through discourse analysis to examine dominant narratives on climate stress, migration, resilience, remittances, gendered vulnerability, and trapped populations. The findings show that migration can strengthen resilience by diversifying income sources, supporting remittances, improving household consumption and reducing dependence on climate-sensitive agriculture. However, migration also produces risks, including labour shortages, family separation, gendered burdens, migrant insecurity and exclusion of poorer households unable to move. The study concludes that migration should be treated as one component of broader climate adaptation, rural development and social protection strategies.