First-Ever Climate Report on Children in Kosovo by UNICEF Calls for Accelerated Actions to Protect Children

05 November 2024
English
UNICEF/2024/A.Nimani

Prishtina, 5 November 2024 – Today, UNICEF Kosovo launched its Climate Landscape Analysis for Children (CLAC) report, spotlighting the severe impacts of climate change on children's rights in Kosovo.

Opening the event H.E. the President of Kosovo dr. Vjosa Osmani Sadriu said: “The facts are alarming, and numbers are speaking; climate change is negatively impacting the lives of our children. It is concerning to see that only US$0.03 are spent per child in projects that address challenges of the climate change that affect children. And this is not proportional to what we aspire for them. That is why I am here, to call for action and join forces to improve this situation. I congratulate UNICEF for this report and for their great work. I hope that this report will guide us to do more for children, to be inclusive and to ensure that behind the words there are always actions undertaken”.

As per the CLAC report, the Kosovo’s children are exposed to significant challenges from rising temperatures, poor air quality, and water scarcity. Average temperatures in Kosovo have risen by 2–3°C since the 1950s, with further increases of 4–8°C projected by the century's end. The report unveils that this warming trend brings more frequent heatwaves, unpredictable rainfall, and severe water shortages, particularly impacting areas such as Ferizaj and Prizren, where children already face heightened air and water pollution. About 23 per cent of children live below the poverty line, making them particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events like heatwaves and flooding as well as those from marginalized communities. “Globally, the triple crisis of climate change, environmental pollution, and biodiversity loss has put around 1 billion children – nearly half of the world’s 2.2 billion children – at extreme risks to their ability to survive and grow,” said Veronika Vashchenko, Head of UNICEF Kosovo. “While Kosovo’s children are growing up in one of the most climate-vulnerable regions in Europe, accelerated actions are needed to protect children and their future,” she added.

While children in Kosovo and worldwide are the least responsible for the climate crisis, they bear the greatest burden of its consequences. Children are uniquely vulnerable to climate change, for example, they breathe twice as quickly as adults and take in more air relative to their body weight, making them particularly vulnerable to the impacts of air pollution.  Heatwaves are especially damaging to children because they are less able to regulate their body temperature than adults.

The climate crisis is a direct threat to their rights, affecting health, access to clean water, food security, education, and safe play environments.

UN Development Coordinator Ms. Arnhild Spence noted: “At the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28) Kosovo committed to phasing out coal by 2050, but children cannot wait for 25 years. Children born in Kosovo today will realize only 57 per cent of their potential due to the critical state of human capital. Let’s act today to improve the lives of every child”.

During the discussion the young environmentalist highlighted the importance of their engagement in decision making process, while shaping policies but also as advocates to bring solutions and change into their communities.

To address these pressing challenges, the key recommendations from the CLAC report are:

  • Prioritize child-focused climate policies: Develop air quality and climate plans that address children's unique needs, ensuring their participation in decision-making.
  • Advance climate education and sustainable schools: Engage students in eco-projects, integrate climate change into curricula, and adapt school facilities to withstand climate impacts.
  • Invest in clean energy for vulnerable communities: Provide sustainable energy sources to reduce reliance on polluting fuels and protect children's health.
  • Strengthen climate data collection: Gather data on climate’s disproportionate effects on children and implement early warning systems to enhance resilience.
  • Enhance environmental health: Implement air quality plans, regulate lead, train healthcare professionals, and improve indoor air quality in schools and kindergartens.

About 4.2 billion children are expected to be born over the next 30 years and there will be no normal climate for them. UNICEF calls for putting children at the centre of the climate crisis response protecting the health and well-being of children, as well as ensuring stronger communities and more resilient economies.

The full report is available here.

Media contacts

Dafina Zuna
Head of Communications
UNICEF Kosovo Programme

About UNICEF

UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.

For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org.

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