Climate crisis is child’s right crisis: UNICEF

Published: 31st Aug, 2021

Context

Recently, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with Fridays for Future launched a report named ‘The Climate Crisis Is a Child Rights Crisis: Introducing the Children’s Climate Risk Index’.

About

About the Index

The report introduces the new Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI).
It is a composite index that ranks nations based on children’s exposure to climate shocks, providing

The first comprehensive look at how exactly children are affected by the climate crisis
Offering a road map for policymakers seeking to prioritize action based on those who are most at risk

Key-highlights of the Findings

Approximately 1 billion children — nearly half the world’s child population — live in countries that are at an “extremely high risk” from climate impacts.
Almost every single child on the planet has been exposed to at least one climate or environmental stressor, such as air pollution, flooding, heat waves, tropical storms, flooding or drought.
850 million children — approximately one-third of the world’s child population — are exposed to four or more stressors.
The 33 extremely high-risk countries for children: including the Central African Republic, Chad, Nigeria, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.

These countries collectively are responsible for a mere nine percent of global carbon dioxide emissions.

Findings for India

India is one of four South Asian nations where children are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, which jeopardise their health, education, and protection.
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and India are among four South Asian countries where children are at extremely high risk of the impacts of the climate crisis, with a ranking of 14th, 15th, 25th and 26th respectively.

Mapping exposure of children to different type of pollution

1 billion children are “highly exposed” to “exceedingly high levels of air pollution
920 million to water scarcity
820 million to heat waves
815 million to lead pollution
600 million to vector-borne diseases
400 million to tropical storms
330 million to riverine flooding
240 million to coastal flooding

Recommendations:

Increase investment in climate adaptation and resilience in key services for children.
Countries must cut their emissions by at least 45% (compared to 2010 levels) by 2030 to keep warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Provide children with climate education and greens skills, critical for their adaptation to and preparation for the effects of climate change.
Ensure the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic is green, low-carbon and inclusive, so that the capacity of future generations to address and respond to the climate crisis is not compromised.

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Climate crisis is child’s right crisis: UNICEF