The growing trend of people fleeing climate change has been discussed at a migration conference held at Aberystwyth University.

A discussion about the possibility of moving to climatic nomadism was led with a keynote speech by Dr Giovanni Bettini.

The conference also heard keynote speeches from Professor Michaela Benson on migration and the making of ‘Global Britain’ and Dr Sophie Cranston who spoke about how overseas students are categorised.

Among the other topics discussed were post-Brexit changes, health and care and experiences in countries such as Ghana, Sudan and Italy.

This was the fourth iMigMob: the first dedicated conference on the geography of migration and mobility.

The first took place in 2016.

One of the organisers of the conference, Dr Catrin Wyn Edwards from Aberystwyth University's Department of International Politics, said:

"It was a privilege to hold this important conference here.

“The discussions and the quality of the speakers were a testament to the breadth and diversity of the academic research on migration and mobility that is taking place.

“The work covers the broad themes of theory, methodology, scale, incorporation, politics, social differences, communities and management.

"Our research in Aberystwyth considers many aspects of migration - from emigration from rural areas to the experiences of those who fled in the Second World War.

“In this day and age, such research is essential if we as a society are going to consider the opportunities and challenges properly."

Conference co-organiser Dr Ellen Hjort from Aberystwyth University's Department of Geography and Earth Sciences added: "Hardly a day goes by when there isn’t news about migration, whether due to international conflict or extreme weather.

“Without a doubt, one of the reasons for migration is climate change so it was important for us to give specific attention to it at the conference.

“There is no doubt that the relationship between changes in our climate and migration patterns is a topic that is going to demand the attention of governments from all over the world over the coming decades."

Dr David McCollum, Chair of the RGS-IBG Population Geography Research Group said: “It was a delight to take the conference to Aberystwyth this year. I would like to extend special thanks to Catrin, Ellen, and Rhys for taking on the not insignificant task of running this major event.”