Climate-Care Nexus Research Hub

This Climate–Care Nexus Research Hub uses longitudinal household data from established Health and Demographic Surveillance Sites in South Africa and Kenya to quantify how climate change affects care work through both direct pathways (health and extreme events) and indirect pathways (natural resource degradation). This represents a novel, systematic analysis of care–climate relationships using household-level data in East and Southern Africa, supported by additional case studies across the region through an open call for further evidence gathering.

The hub explores how climate and nature finance can be applied to care work by comprehensively mapping existing mechanisms, carbon credits, payments for ecosystem services, and adaptation funds, and analysing the opportunities, trade-offs and pitfalls of adapting these approaches to recognise care work contributions to climate resilience. This includes testing the potential for developing ‘care credits’ that could value and reward diverse forms of care. Through collaborative workshops with diverse stakeholders and working group processes, we document real approaches communities are using and explore the capacity to reorient funding into ‘care credits’ that recognise care work contributions to climate resilience in the region.

Strong Networks

The hub builds on established partnerships and existing data infrastructure, allowing for rapid implementation. The consortium includes the University of the Witwatersrand and Aga Khan University, with proven HDSS expertise; an Expert Advisory Committee of leading feminist economists and climate scientists; and strategic partnerships with the African Climate Foundation and the Presidential Climate Commission (South Africa). Our collaboration with the AVINA network provides access to case studies across seven African countries. Through a set of open calls for proposals, we intend to expand this network across the region.