  Rapid urbanization with poor city planning has resulted in severe air
pollution in low- and middle-income countries' urban areas. Given the adverse
impacts of air pollution, many responses have been taken, including migration
to another city. The current study explores the psychological process and
demographic predictors of migration intention among urban people in Hanoi,
Vietnam - one of the most polluted capital cities in the world. The Bayesian
Mindsponge Framework (BMF) was used to construct the model and perform Bayesian
analysis on a stratified random sampling dataset of 475 urban people. We found
that the migration intention was negatively associated with the individual's
satisfaction with air quality. The association was moderated by the perceived
availability of a better alternative (or nearby city with better air quality).
However, the high migration cost due to geographical distance made the
moderation effect of the perceived availability of a better alternative
negligible. Moreover, it was also found that male and young people were more
likely to migrate, but the brain drain hypothesis was not validated. The
results hint that without air pollution mitigation measures, the dislocation of
economic forces might occur and hinder sustainable urban development.
Therefore, collaborative actions among levels of government, with the
semi-conducting principle at heart, are recommended to reduce air pollution.
