1 in 6 children in eastern Europe and Central Asia exposed to severe water scarcity

GENEVA, 13 November 2023 – 1 in 6 children in eastern Europe and Central Asia – or 17 million across the region – live in areas exposed to severe water scarcity, according to a new report published today by UNICEF.

The Climate Changed Child – released ahead of the COP28 climate change summit – is a supplement to UNICEF’s Children’s Climate Risk (2021). It provides a global analysis of the impacts of three tiers of water security – water scarcity, water vulnerability and water stress*.

The report also outlines the myriad of other ways that children bear the greatest impacts of climate change - including increased risk of disease and exposure to air pollution and extreme weather events such as flooding and drought.

Air pollution is another major risk for children in Europe and Central Asia and is the single biggest environmental risk factor for premature death and ill-health in Europe and Central Asia. Around 83 per cent of children across 51 countries in the region breathe toxic air, the report notes.  

“Climate change, environmental degradation, pollution and biodiversity loss have created a planetary crisis that is affecting the daily lives and the realization of rights of children across the world,” said Regina De Dominicis, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia.

“Together we must ensure that services that children depend on are adapted to withstand the effects of climate change.”

Despite their unique vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, children have been mostly ignored or disregarded in discussions about the crisis. Globally, only 2.4 per cent of climate finance from key multilateral climate funds support projects that incorporate child-responsive activities.

At COP28, UNICEF is calling on world leaders and the international community to take critical steps with and for children. This includes:

• Elevating children within the final COP28 Cover Decision and convene an expert dialogue on children and climate change.
• Embedding children and intergeneration equity in the Global Stocktake (GST).
• Including children and climate resilient essential services within the final decision on the Global Goal for Adaptation (GGA). 
• Ensuring the Loss and Damage Fund and funding arrangements are child-responsive with child rights embedded in the fund's governance and decision-making process.

Beyond COP28, UNICEF calls on parties to take action to protect the lives, health and well-being of children - including by adapting essential social services, empower children to be champions for the environment and fulfil international sustainability and climate change agreements including rapidly reducing emissions.