The intersection of climate change and the care economy presents a critical yet often overlooked opportunity for building resilient communities. The care economy, which encompasses both paid and unpaid caregiving activities primarily carried out by women, plays an essential role in enhancing community preparedness and response to climate hazards. Despite its importance, this sector remains underfunded and undervalued. This article explores how integrating care services into climate adaptation strategies can strengthen resilience and highlights the need for increased investment in care infrastructure.

Building Community Resilience Through Care Infrastructure

Investment in robust care infrastructure is vital for enhancing the adaptability of families and communities to climate challenges. Strengthening care services not only bolsters preparedness but also improves responses to various climate-induced crises. In many regions, especially urban areas with informal settlements, caregivers face significant difficulties due to inadequate access to basic resources like clean water, energy, and healthcare. These challenges are exacerbated by climate change, leading to heightened caregiving demands, particularly for vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly.

Climate-related events like floods, landslides, wildfires, hurricanes, and cyclones disrupt care services and damage essential infrastructure. Yet, few disaster risk reduction plans or municipal adaptation initiatives consider investing in care as a priority. While some countries have made efforts to allocate public resources for care services, reducing the burden on unpaid caregivers, no nation has established a fully functional care system that meets the diverse needs of its population. Domestic and international development assistance, along with climate finance, must play a more significant role in supporting comprehensive care systems. Analysis reveals that current climate finance estimates overlook the costs associated with care services and infrastructure, underscoring the urgent need for a shift in priorities.

Directing Climate Finance Toward Local Care Systems

Municipalities and cities are pivotal in implementing climate adaptation activities, including enhancing care services. However, local areas often lack the necessary resources for adequate housing, transportation, and climate change adaptation. Recent studies indicate that less than 10% of climate finance was allocated to local levels, although this figure has modestly increased to 17% from 2017 to 2021. To effectively address these gaps, cities must integrate care services into their climate adaptation strategies. Breaking down silos between climate planners and care providers can foster a shared understanding of the importance of investing in care infrastructure.

Cities like Quezon City in Manila, Renca in Santiago, Chile, and Barcelona, Spain, are pioneering approaches to incorporate care systems into climate adaptation efforts. National adaptation plans provide crucial context for cities to assess vulnerability risks and identify sectors requiring investment. By mapping local care requirements and existing services, cities can better align their needs with national adaptation plans. Estimating the costs of additional care services and retrofitting infrastructure is essential for developing comprehensive disaster risk preparedness and broader adaptation plans. Additionally, embedding care as a sector in nationally determined contributions (NDCs) submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change can amplify the message that care services are integral to climate resilience. Civil society engagement is vital for advocating stronger fiscal transfers to sub-national levels and fostering a mindset that views the care of people and the planet as interconnected investment priorities.