07 December 2023

3 ways climate change threatens children's lives

Climate change exposes children to risk in different ways. Rising temperatures and other environmental changes can make diseases more dangerous, droughts more common and can significantly impact children’s growth and development. Almost all the world’s children are facing at least one environmental risk whether air pollution, heatwaves, floods,…, 1. Climate change makes diseases more dangerous, Rising temperatures and other environmental changes worsen the effects of diseases on children and increase their chances of exposure. For example, the habitat for mosquitoes transmitting malaria, dengue fever and yellow fever is projected to expand, putting new communities at risk. In Indonesia, a shift in rainfall patterns has seen the mosquito…, 2. Climate change makes droughts more common and leads to hunger, As water dries up and food runs out, children are hit hardest. In regions prone to droughts, climate change is making water shortages more severe and more frequent, causing major crop failures. Madagascar is one such country where severe droughts are leaving families struggling to feed their children. Severely malnourished children often develop…, 3. Climate change worsens children’s health and development, When extreme heat meets air pollution and wildfires, infants and children are at a high risk of developing chronic illnesses and even dying.  In extreme heat, children are more prone to heat stroke that can cause organ and brain damage. Children are also at greater risk of asthma and pneumonia when exposed to air pollution, which inflame young…