The Next Great Migration by Sonia Shah Summary

The Next Great Migration challenges the perception of migration as a crisis, arguing it’s a natural, lifesaving response to climate change and ecological shifts. Sonia Shah combines science, history, and reporting to show how human and animal migration has shaped biodiversity and societies. The book critiques xenophobic policies and proposes creating safe, organized pathways for the estimated 200 million climate refugees by midcentury.

This book is essential for policymakers, environmentalists, and advocates of social justice. It appeals to readers interested in climate change, biodiversity, and human rights, offering a data-driven rebuttal to anti-immigration narratives. Students of ecology, sociology, or geopolitics will find its interdisciplinary approach valuable.

Key arguments include:

• Migration is biologically innate and has driven human evolution.
• “Native” species and static habitats are myths rooted in colonial-era pseudoscience.
• Walls and restrictions harm ecosystems and exacerbate humanitarian crises.
• Managed migration could mitigate climate displacement and boost societal resilience.

Shah predicts up to 200 million climate refugees by 2050 and argues against containment strategies. Instead, she advocates for international frameworks to facilitate safe movement, noting that barriers like the U.S.-Mexico border wall endanger 90+ species while failing to deter migrants.

The book traces human migration from East Africa to global settlements, including Polynesian navigation and genetic diversity shaped by mobility. Shah dismantles the idea that pre-modern societies were static, highlighting how migration spurred cultural and biological adaptation.

Yes. Shah challenges conservationists’ focus on “native” species, arguing this ignores migration’s role in ecosystems. She critiques habitat theories that prioritize geographic purity over dynamic ecological processes, which often align with anti-immigration rhetoric.

Some reviewers note Shah’s optimism about managed migration may underestimate political hurdles. However, her evidence-based approach reframes migration as an opportunity rather than a threat, countering fatalistic climate narratives.

A Guggenheim fellow and science journalist, Shah draws on her expertise in epidemiology (Pandemic) and global inequities. Her investigative rigor shines in dissecting migration myths, while her focus on marginalized communities adds ethical depth.

Like Pandemic, it interweaves science and social justice but shifts focus to mobility. While The Fever examined disease history, this book links migration to survival, reflecting Shah’s evolving exploration of humanity’s relationship with environmental change.

• Replace border walls with climate-resilient infrastructure.
• Develop international visa programs for displaced populations.
• Invest in social integration to harness migrants’ economic and cultural contributions.

With rising climate disasters and political tensions over borders, Shah’s framework offers a proactive alternative to crisis-driven responses. The book’s emphasis on adaptability resonates amid AI-driven workforce shifts and global biodiversity decline.

• “Migration is not a bug but a feature of life on Earth.”
• “Walls endanger species far more effectively than they stop people.”

These lines encapsulate Shah’s argument that mobility is inseparable from ecological and human survival.

Shah argues “belonging” is dynamic, not tied to geography. By tracing how humans and species continuously adapt, she reimagines identity as rooted in movement—a perspective crucial for climate adaptation.