Global environmental change is increasing livelihood pressure for many communities, and agricultural households in the Global South are particularly vulnerable. Extant research has debated whether and to what degree this amplifies migration flows while also acknowledging that migration can be an adaptive strategy. However, little is known about which contextual factors are most relevant and how they interact in shaping environment-related migration. We shed light on this issue by conducting an in-depth qualitative, yet multisite and medium-N study of farming households in the northern Ethiopian highlands. We utilized qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) – a novel approach in the research field – to overcome the existing methodological challenges. We found that the migration experience within the household in combination with either the usage of the longer summer rainy season (Kiremt) or non-farm in situ diversification are sufficient causes for migration. Non-farm income activities and favorable environmental conditions during the Kiremt season increases economic household resources and as such migration ability. However, only together with migrant networks, which can reduce the costs and risks of migration and shape migration aspirations, can these drivers explain why households engage in migration. Our findings reveal that capabilities and networks, rather than commonly cited push factors, are far more important drivers of environment-related migration at the household level. Additionally, we illustrate that while migration is an important adaptation strategy, it cannot be adopted equally among households and as a result often reinforces existing inequalities.

全球环境变化给许多社区带来了越来越大的生计压力，并且全球南部的农户特别脆弱。现有的研究已经在讨论这种迁移是否以及在何种程度上放大了迁移流量，同时也承认迁移可以是一种自适应策略。但是，对于哪些上下文因素最相关以及它们如何影响与环境相关的迁移，人们知之甚少。我们通过对北部埃塞俄比亚高地的农户进行了深入的定性，多地点和中等N的研究，阐明了这一问题。我们利用定性比较分析（QCA）–研究领域中的一种新方法–克服了现有方法上的挑战。我们发现，家庭内部的迁移经验与较长的夏季雨季（Kiremt）的使用或非农地原地多样化的结合都是迁移的充分原因。Kiremt季节期间的非农业收入活动和有利的环境条件增加了经济家庭资源，并因此增加了移民能力。但是，只有与能够减少移民成本和风险并塑造移民愿望的移民网络一起，这些驱动因素才能解释为什么家庭进行移民。我们的发现表明，能力和网络，而不是普遍引用的推动因素，是家庭层面与环境相关的移民的重要驱动因素。此外，我们举例说明，虽然迁移是一项重要的适应策略，