Children’s climate risk: High vulnerability to extreme heat, flooding, and air pollution

By Vikas Meshram

Our irresponsible behavior towards the Earth raises a critical question: What kind of world are we leaving for the next generation? Issues like air pollution, severe water crises, depleting natural resources, and employment disparities make it clear that future generations will face an undeniably challenging life. This irresponsibility and lack of visionary leadership have compounded the risks posed by the climate crisis to children's futures, making it a matter of grave concern.

Recognizing these threats, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has emphasized the urgent need for strategic planning to address the challenges highlighted in its report, "The Future of Children in a Changing World." This report sheds light on the challenges, grim realities, and ominous futures facing children in India. According to the report, by 2050, over 350 million children in India will grapple with the impacts of climate crises, artificial intelligence, and technological transformations.

Children born during this period will encounter climate-related adversities, including heatwaves, floods, cyclones, and a range of climate-induced illnesses. Air pollution, acute water scarcity, dwindling resources, climate change, and employment disparities will make their lives even more strenuous, perilous, and demanding.

In 2021, India ranked 26th out of 163 countries on the Children’s Climate Risk Index, indicating a high vulnerability to extreme heat, flooding, and air pollution. The risks are particularly pronounced for children from rural and low-income communities. Projections show that by 2050, children could face eight times more heatwaves than in 2000.

The adverse effects of climate crises on children’s health, education, access to essential resources like water, and healthcare services are inevitable. This calls for the immediate formulation of a sensitive, forward-looking, and effective action plan.

Recent data reveal stark inequalities in internet connectivity. While 95% of the population in high-income countries is connected to the internet, only 26% of the population in low-income countries has access. In India, despite the widespread penetration of the internet, children face numerous challenges. UNICEF advocates for comprehensive technological initiatives to bridge the digital divide and ensure equitable and safe access to new technologies for all children.

Children are our future, and placing their welfare and rights at the center of policy-making is essential for building a prosperous, sustainable, and balanced society. Our irresponsible actions towards the planet are jeopardizing future generations.

By 2050, children will face eight times more heatwaves, three times more floods, and double the risk of wildfires compared to today. Such alarming predictions underscore UNICEF's call for urgent strategies to tackle these challenges and safeguard children's futures.

Urbanization poses additional challenges. By 2050, half of India’s population is expected to reside in urban areas. With rapid migration from rural to urban regions, overburdened urban services risk collapse. In this scenario, climate-resilient and child-friendly urban planning becomes a necessity.

Cities offer hope and opportunities for a better life, accounting for over 80% of global GDP and serving as engines of growth, innovation, and connectivity. They can provide the best possible environment for children to live, learn, and grow. However, approximately one-third of the 4 billion urban residents today are children, and by 2050, 70% of children globally are projected to live in urban areas, many in slums.

Urban areas can potentially provide better access to basic services like schools and hospitals. However, overcrowding, inadequate sanitation, unsafe housing, and limited transportation infrastructure remain significant obstacles, especially for poor urban children. These issues exacerbate the impact of climate change, making child-friendly urban planning imperative.

Globally, a billion children currently face high-risk climate hazards. Without immediate governmental action, the future will only worsen by 2050. Governments must act decisively to ensure a brighter, safer, and more inclusive future for the innocent faces and sparkling eyes that represent our nation’s responsibility.

Reducing the digital divide and ensuring inclusive access to modern technologies are critical steps toward establishing an equitable society. Efforts must be made to make technology accessible and secure for all children, providing them with equal opportunities to thrive.

Children are undeniably the architects of a nation’s future. Thus, every welfare-oriented government has a moral obligation to prioritize children’s welfare and rights in its policies. Only then can we hope for a bright and promising future for them.

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The author is a senior journalist

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