Who Cares for Carers? The importance of securing land rights for those at the frontlines of climate-induced land degradation
Overview
Climate-induced land degradation is often framed as an environmental challenge, but it is also a crisis of care and inequality. As droughts, floods, and other climate impacts intensify, the people who sustain ecosystems, food systems and rural livelihoods face growing burdens while frequently lacking secure rights to the land they depend on. Women in rural areas, Indigenous Peoples, pastoralists and smallholder farmers are disproportionately affected and bear the heavy burden of climate-induced land degradation. Drawing on evidence from Uganda, Timor-Leste and Sri Lanka, this briefing note shows how insecure land tenure undermines climate resilience, sustainable land management, and recovery from environmental shocks. It argues for a care-centred approach to land governance that secures land rights, strengthens inclusive decision-making and invests in the people whose stewardship is essential to restoring degraded landscapes and building resilient communities.
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DOI
10.21201/2026.000149How to cite this resource
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