Governing climate-induced displacement: an integrated conceptual framework from bibliometric and systematic review

Abstract

Climate change is increasingly recognized as a critical driver of human displacement worldwide. Despite its escalating scale, governance of climate-induced displacement remains conceptually and institutionally fragmented, lacking an integrated synthesis. This study conducts a bibliometric analysis and systematic review to map the intellectual structure of climate-induced displacement research and develop an integrated governance framework across international, national, and local levels. Bibliometric data comprising 1,962 documents (2000–2026) were retrieved from Scopus and analyzed using Biblioshiny and VOSviewer, while a systematic review of 25 studies, screened following PRISMA guidelines using Rayyan. The bibliometric findings reveal a rapidly growing field, with an annual growth rate of 22.04%, dominated by the US and China in both productivity and citation impact. However, migration and displacement remain peripheral, underdeveloped themes weakly integrated into the broader climate change literature. The systematic review further identifies persistent legal protection gaps, multi-actor coordination failures, and fragmented, reactive governance responses across national contexts. Building on these findings, the study proposes an integrated governance framework grounded in Collaborative Governance Model, positioning displacement actors, collaborative processes, institutional mechanisms, and facilitative leadership as interdependent stages driving protective governance outcomes. These findings underscore the need for coherent, collaborative displacement governance frameworks.