This priority research theme aims to obtain more insight into the unprecedented and unregulated rural exodus especially towards major urban agglomerations and across national borders. It specifically investigates the direction of causation in the link between population growth, land degradation, livelihood opportunities, climate change/climate variability and migration. Under this PRT, two research projects, MIGRAWARE and MiTra-Wa, are being executed under the supervision of Dr. Safietou Sanfo (sanfo.s@wascal.org), a senior scientist at the Competence Centre.