UNITED NATIONS: More than one billion children are confronting at least three overlapping climate hazards, with 34 million of them in Pakistan, UNICEF warned on Monday, underscoring the disproportionate impact in certain regions of the world.
Methodology and Key Findings
For its report, the UN agency cross-referenced data showing where the world's roughly 2.4 billion children live with the geographic distribution of the eight most common climate impacts. These include coastal flooding, river flooding, drought, tropical storms, heat waves (defined as at least three days above a high temperature threshold that varies by country), extreme heat, wildfires, and sandstorms.
The report primarily focuses on 1.1 billion children exposed to at least three risks. The most common combination—drought, extreme heat (above 35 degrees Celsius), and heat waves—affects some 296 million children, including 74 million in Nigeria, 34 million in Pakistan, and 32 million in India. The number of children in this three-or-more category has increased sharply over the past two decades.
Almost all children—some 2.3 billion—are exposed to at least one risk. Two billion face at least two, while 364 million face at least four. Of the 123,000 children exposed to seven or more climate hazards, approximately 46,000 are in Myanmar.
UNICEF Chief's Statement
"Children are at the forefront of the impact of climate change," said UNICEF chief Catherine Russell. When asked about the worst place for a child, one of the report's authors, Tom Slaymaker, told AFP: "There isn't a super short answer."
Regional Hot Spots
"But they're not all equal," Slaymaker said. "We do see some hot spots… it's really concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South Asia." Countries with large child populations—including Bangladesh, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan—top the list for the number of children exposed to at least three hazards. However, in sheer percentage terms, Sub-Saharan African countries, particularly the Sahel, have the largest proportion of children affected by hazards. The impacts are often worsened by governments' inability to cope with climate hazards.
Chad, for instance, faces a humanitarian crisis with limited access to water, electricity, and food. According to the report, more than 95 percent of children in the country are exposed to at least three hazards—one of the highest proportions globally. Other particularly vulnerable countries include 39 island states that face challenges such as limited freshwater, import dependence, and an inability to easily shelter elsewhere after a disaster like a hurricane.
No country is truly spared, the report shows.
