Climate Change, Families, and Human Development: Review of the Evidence
We are excited to share that Lab Director Dr. Jorge Cuartas and Lab Member Lucero RamÃrez-Varela, along with their co-authors, have published a new paper, “Climate Change, Families, and Human Development: Review of the Evidence,” in the Journal of Cognition and Development.
This review highlights how climate change impacts families and human development across multiple dimensions. The study synthesizes existing research on the physical and mental health effects of climate change, its implications for child development, and its influence on family relationships and dynamics. The findings underscore the disproportionate impact of climate change on vulnerable communities, while also emphasizing the crucial role families play in fostering resilience and adaptation.
Key Findings:
Families are both vulnerable to and key actors in climate adaptation.
- Climate change-related hazards, such as extreme heat, pollution, and natural disasters, disrupt family structures, increasing stress, economic hardship, and mental health challenges.
- Families in low-income settings and marginalized communities face the greatest risks due to limited resources and systemic inequities.
Climate change affects children’s development through family pathways.
- Exposure to climate stressors can negatively impact children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development.
- Increased family stress, economic instability, and displacement can reduce parental engagement, increase child maltreatment risks, and strain caregiving relationships.
Family dynamics shift in response to climate stressors.
- Climate hazards have been linked to shifts in reproductive behaviors, marriage rates, and family separations due to displacement.
- Some families experience strengthened bonds and collective coping strategies, while others face increased domestic conflict and violence.
- Supportive policies and interventions are crucial in ensuring family resilience in the face of climate challenges.
Read the full paper here: https://doi.org/10.1080/15248372.2025.2468187
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