Nurturing care as a critical buffer against climate change impacts on child development
Jorge Cuartas1,2, Francis Vergunst3
1Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, United States of America.
PLOS Global Public Health
|April 8, 2025
Summary
Nurturing care is vital for protecting children's development against climate change impacts. This essential support system, often overlooked, shields human capital formation from environmental hazards.
Area of Science:
- Environmental science
- Developmental psychology
- Public health
Background:
- Climate change exacerbates risks to human capital through extreme weather events.
- Children are uniquely vulnerable to climate change impacts due to developmental immaturity.
- Caregivers provide a crucial buffer against climate hazards through nurturing care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the role of nurturing care in safeguarding human capital formation amidst climate change.
- To highlight the underrepresentation of nurturing care in climate change research and policy.
Main Methods:
- Review of empirical and conceptual literature on climate change and child development.
- Analysis of the mechanisms through which nurturing care protects against climate-related harms.
- Synthesis of existing research to inform policy and practice.
Main Results:
- Nurturing care encompasses stable environments, health, nutrition, safety, learning, and emotional support.
- Caregivers are essential in mitigating the adverse effects of climate change on children's development.
- The critical role of nurturing care is largely absent from current climate change discourse.
Conclusions:
- Integrating nurturing care into climate change strategies is essential for protecting child development and human capital.
- Policy and research must acknowledge and support the role of caregivers in climate adaptation.
- Prioritizing nurturing care can build resilience in children facing climate-related challenges.
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