Climate change poses many risks to the lives of children. Because of the increase in temperature and extreme weather conditions brought by climate change, many communities are expected to suffer from food and water scarcity and perilous diseases and health complications. More disasters and humanitarian crises would bring long-term displacements and disruption to educational and economic activities (UNICEF, p.8). Given this situation, the future of children at the worldwide scale remains under peril. Governments and other agencies concerned on the welfare of children must do something to address this worsening situation, or the children will pay the price.
Climate change refers to the significant changes in the behavior of the climate which lasts for a period and may extend over time. It may manifest in the changes in the temperature, wind patterns, and precipitation, among others that may last for decades. It is highly attributed to human activities because the carbon emissions of huge industries and agricultural practices contribute to the large amounts of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gasses emitted into the atmosphere (US Environmental Protection Agency, n.p.). Thus, many children and families living in highly-dense and agricultural communities are potentially at-risk.
The 2015 report of UNICEF reveals that millions of children live in extremely vulnerable zones: half a billion dwells in highly flooded communities, while about 160 million children live in communities with high severity of drought. These numbers reflect a huge number of children susceptible to many risks such as destruction of schools, health facilities, and transportation, contamination, vector-borne and respiratory diseases, and food insecurity (UNICEF, p.10).
The study conducted by the World Health Organization and UN Environment Programme has found out that the harm in the environment is twice harmful to children than adults because of their fast-paced development (WHO, UNEP, n.p.). Zhiwei et al (p.3298) have noted that the effects of climate change would result to greater risks of psychological problems, infectious and respiratory diseases and complications, and skin and allergic problems. UNICEF has reported that an estimated 25 million children would suffer from malnutrition, 100 million would suffer from hunger, about 150-200 million people would be displaced from their homes because of flooding and other extreme weather events, and millions of infants would likely die because of intense heat. In addition, the mortality rate among children has increased, with more than 500, 000, and is expected to escalate due to the changing climate (p.10). In a cited report from the World Health Organization states that climate change has resulted to the deaths of more than 150, 000 and disability of some 5 million in 2000. About 88% of these numbers are children (Zhiwei, p.3299).
In the coming decades, the slow onset of climate change would weaken development and limit the opportunities for livelihood. Inequities and poverty would worsen and would incapacitate families to adapt and cope up. For children and their families living in impoverished and underdeveloped countries, access to clean and safe water, sanitation, and health care would be difficult. By 2020, about 75 million people in Africa would be exposed to water stress (UNICEF, p.4). Prices of food and other basic commodities would soar which limits the purchasing power of many families. There are about 200 million children who do not reach their development potentials because of extreme poverty and inequities. Most of them can be found in developing countries that experience the extreme impacts of disasters and humanitarian crisis (Bennett and Friel, p.462-463). Oxfam has also estimated an increase of 10-20% in the number of people who are at-risk to hunger by 2020 (Harvey, n.p.). These numbers would likely increase if the climate crisis would not be addressed properly.
The worldwide community is currently taking an action to secure the future of children from climate change. More researchers push for more mitigation activities such as carbon emission reduction and adaptation measures such as alternative livelihood and post-disaster health care (Zhiwei et al, p.3308). At the global level, the United Nations has pushed for a framework as early as 1994 to tackle the issue of climate change. During the UN Convention on Climate Change in March 1994, UN member states have recognized the prevailing problems in global warming and greenhouse gasses. They have arrived into a goal that the greenhouse emissions must be reduced by up to 2 degrees centigrade and appropriate measures must be done such as planning and allocation of budget for mitigation and adaptation measures (UNFCC, n.p.). UN agencies such as UNICEF have also commissioned studies to determine the impact of climate change to children and other vulnerable populations. Many countries have also launched campaigns to educate the public about climate change. Governments have initiated mitigation projects and subscribed to the UN Framework on Climate Change as part of their commitment to address climate change; however, a lot is yet to be done.
Zhiwei et al (p. 3308) propose that continuous research on climate change and children must be done. Among the areas of focus include gender, age and socioeconomic status, vulnerability to climate change, children’s diseases under climate change scenarios, and efficient adaptation and mitigation activities from the child’s perspective.
UNICEF (p.18) also calls for the prioritization of community-based and child-centered initiatives on adaptation and mitigation activities. Programs must be context-based and culturally sensitive to fully address the needs of children in various spectrums of development (p. 18).
Governments must also ensure the regulation of carbon emissions and must be stringent on its policies for environmental protection and preservation. More importantly, it must provide sufficient programs for livelihood, education, and food security to ensure that children and their families are prepared to adapt to the changing climate. Resilience comes with economic and political changes. The future of children will remain under peril if there would be no significant changes in the conditions that destroy the environment. Unless everyone would do their share, children will pay the price of climate change.
Works Cited
Bennett, Charmian, and Sharon Friel. "Impacts of Climate Change on Inequities in Child Health." Children, vol. 1, no. 3, 2014, pp. 461-473.
"Climate Change: Basic Information | Climate Change | US EPA." United States Environmental Protection Agency | US EPA, www.epa.gov/climatechange/climate-change-basic-information.
Harvey, F. "Children Will Bear Brunt of Climate Change Impact, New Study Says | Environment | The Guardian." The Guardian, 2013, www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/sep/23/children-bear-brunt-climate-change-new-study.
UNFCC. "Introduction to the Convention." unfccc.int/essential_background/convention/items/6036.php.
UNICEF. Unless we act now: The impact of climate change on children. UNICEF, 2015. www.unicef.org/publications/files/Unless_we_act_now_The_impact_of_climate_change_on_children.pdf.
WHO and UNEP ((World Health Organization and United Nations Environment Programme) (2010) Healthy environments for healthy children. Key messages for action. (accessed 11/11/2015)
Xu, Zhiwei, et al. "Climate Change and Children’s Health—A Call for Research on What Works to Protect Children." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 9, no. 12, 2012, pp. 3298-3316.
