The power of families in fighting against climate change
"The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home."
Confucius
Photo by Idris Hasibuan / Unsplash
For this year’s National Family Day, the National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN) has chosen the theme "Keluarga Berkualitas Menuju Indonesia Emas 2045" and emphasized the pivotal role of families in supporting Indonesia to achieve net zero emission targets. Under the current climate crisis, one of the most important qualities of an adaptive family or “keluarga berkualitas” is resilience. As the basic unit of society, families are important resources to build stronger, more sustainable, and more resilient communities to fight against climate change. This begins with becoming informed of the issue and introducing small, actionable steps at home.
How does climate change affect families?
The considerable increase in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) since the pre-industrial era has led to severe environmental degradation and exacerbated public health issues, including the increased prevalence of vector-borne diseases (eg, dengue and malaria) and the decreased air and water quality that raise the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular health effects as well as diarrhea, respectively.
Climate change also negatively affects the livelihoods of families employed in the food system sector, such as agriculture and fishing. Uncertainties in weather patterns, rising temperatures, and lower water levels, among other things, result in crop failures, reduced access to raw materials, higher poverty levels, declining human health, and ultimately decreased food production.
Given these negative impacts, climate change contributes to approximately 250,000 deaths per year mostly affecting vulnerable populations, including the elderly, pregnant women, and children from low and middle-income countries.
The vital role of family in mitigating climate change
Families are the building blocks of society and serve as an intermediary between individuals and the social system. In the context of environmental sustainability attitudes and behaviors, families are an important learning environment for communities, particularly children, to develop and promote a sustainable lifestyle such that climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies can be achieved at the household level.
For example, children would ask “Why do we need to pray before we eat?” or “Why do we have to eat together on the dining table?”. These seemingly simple questions provide an excellent opportunity for children to gain critical thinking, learn about cause-and-effect relationships, make sense of the world around them, and begin to learn about the various aspects of climate change.
Research suggests that, while younger individuals often display positive attitudes toward the environment, their behaviors do not always translate into a change in behaviors, indicating a gap between their awareness and actions. Given the direct association between parental knowledge and child outcomes, parents and other primary caregivers in the family are at the forefront of such behavior change.
Key strategies for parents and caregivers
One effective strategy to translate attitudes into behavior is by integrating sustainability topics in family discussions. Studies show that regular discussions on relevant sustainability topics can further reinforce the urgency of climate change as well as increase understanding and action among all family members. To prevent climate anxiety, discussions about the negative impacts of climate change should always be accompanied by simple, clear, actionable mitigation strategies that can be incorporated into daily activities and routines, such as separating food waste in a compost bin after each meal, conserving energy and water through fun notes next to light switches and faucets, and spending daily activities outdoors in nature.
Moreover, building skills to adapt to the aftereffects of climate change impacts is crucial, especially for families in climate-vulnerable areas prone to extreme weather events (eg, earthquakes, tsunamis, and storms). Families should be informed about emergency procedures and evacuation routes, and communicate them to the elderly, pregnant women, and child members to ensure their safety.
By leading through example, families can inspire others in their community to adopt similar practices. When one family adopts sustainable and resilient practices, they can influence other families, fostering a community that's aware and proactive about the climate crisis. Over time, this can lead to the development of resilient communities and, ultimately, a more climate-resilient country.
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