Child rights and climate
The climate crisis is a child rights crisis, and it is happening NOW
Despite their minimal contribution to emissions, climate change disproportionately harms children and youth. In Eastern and Southern Africa, the rising temperatures are exacerbating or causing droughts, storms, floods, locust swarms, food insecurity, water shortages, and conflicts, representing perhaps the most pressing contemporary threat to the well-being of young people. Furthermore, climate change is eroding household livelihoods, reducing access to education and essential services, and heightening poverty and vulnerability.
This situation is anticipated to deteriorate in the years ahead. Regrettably, children and youth are often marginalized from climate policy formulation and solutions. Consequently, climate change has the potential to, and in certain instances, is already resulting in increased family separation and a decline in the quality of care provided to children.
It is imperative to empower and involve young individuals in climate action and decision-making processes.
Key facts
Only 2.4 per cent of multilateral climate funds finance child-responsive climate projects
In all 21 Eastern and Southern Africa Region (ESAR) countries, the data from the Children’s Climate Risk Index (CRRI) indicates that children and adolescents are at a very high, high, or medium risk of experiencing environmental, social, and health impacts of climate change
1 in 3 children are exposed to severe water scarcity
470 million children face high or extremely high drought risk
436 million exposed to extreme water vulnerability
