Climate change and children

How does climate change affect children?

FACTS:

• 80 percent of global cases occur in children under five years of age.
• Children under five years of age also account for 65 percent of deaths caused by malaria, a common disease in disaster areas.
• Often outdoors and exposed to the elements, and with developing immune systems, children incur over two-thirds of all environmentally related, preventable illnesses.

Background Information:

One of the most prominent threats to the security of the world's youth population has become climate change. Today’s evidence suggests that developing countries – which are mostly located in warmer regions and whose major source of income is agriculture – will be hit the hardest by changes in rainfall patterns, greater weather extremes and increasing droughts and floods.

Change in precipitation patterns is likely to affect the quality and quantity of water supplies, thus compounding the impact of poor water and sanitation, as well as malnutrition. Weather-related physical hazards such as hurricanes and flooding are likely to intensify, resulting in more deaths, injuries and trauma.

Children's disproportionally high vulnerability makes it especially critical to look at the factors of climate change that put them at risk.

Flooding, for instance, can lead to:

• Polluted water sources
• Structural damages to buildings including houses, schools, and hospitals
• Increased sanitary challenges, especially in poorer communities
• Inadequate hygiene
• Diarrhea, malaria, yellow fever, and other waterborne or insect borne illnesses

Illnesses can lead to:

• Prolonged absences from school and high drop out rates
• Malnutrition and disease
• Stress and loss of concentration (especially if they return to school)

Long Term Effects:

• Reduction in education can lead to limited job and future opportunities
• Rises in disease and malnutrition within a population
• Increases in stress, caused by social and environmental destruction, expose children and their families to unhealthy emotional environments

*Information from UNICEF

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