This paper analyses the root causes of rural outmigration, focusing on its economic and social implications. It takes as its starting point the fact that mobility is inherent in human existence. Livelihoods and sociocultural changes are intimately connected with population movements. To understand present and fast-developing trends in human mobility, we examine the origins of migratory movements and discern how such transformations actually affect the natural resource base, as well as how they shape livelihoods and socio-economic/cultural coexistence. The main body of the paper presents an overview of migration and remittance flows, the role of financial institutions in leveraging remittances and the role of the diaspora in the development of communities of origin. Finally, the paper.
