Project

Modeling Climate-Induced Food Insecurity and Resulting Migration in Central America

Agriculture, Climate

The project aims to assess the impact of climate change on food production and water security in Central America’s Dry Corridor, focusing on how local communities adapt to these challenges. By generating a detailed dataset on climate adaptation behaviors using advanced machine learning techniques, the project seeks to model the relationship between climate stressors and social responses, such as migration and local conflict. The findings will provide valuable insights for policymakers to support climate-resilient agriculture and mitigate destabilizing behaviors, while also contributing to academic research and training students in climate and data science.   


This grant is made possible by the Goldsmith Research Fund, a gift from Carl H. Goldsmith (W ‘88). It is co-funded with Perry World House.


Irina Marinov

Associate Professor, Earth and Environmental Science

Irina Marinov is a climate scientist and an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania in the department of Earth and Environmental Science.

Erik Wibbels

Penn Compact Professor, Political Science

Erik Wibbels is a Penn Compact Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also the co-director of PDRI/DevLab@Penn.