While global warming multiplies droughts, hurricanes or heatwaves, more than a billion children are already exposed to at least three types of major climatic hazards which overlap, warns Unicef on Monday June 15, highlighting the disproportionate impact in certain regions of the world.
For this report, the UN agency cross-referenced data showing where the approximately 2.4 billion children on the planet live with the geographic distribution of the eight most frequent climate impacts: coastal flooding, river flooding, drought, tropical storm, heatwave (at least 3 days above a high temperature, different depending on the country), extreme heat (any day above 35°C), fire and sandstorm.
While a succession of disasters weakens children a little more each time, the report focuses more specifically on those exposed to at least three hazards, a category which has increased significantly over the last 20 years. Nearly half of the world’s children (1.1 billion) are exposed to at least three risks, the most frequent combination being drought-extreme heat-heatwave (296 million children, including 74 million in Nigeria, 34 million in Pakistan, 32 million in India).
Almost all children (around 2.3 billion) are exposed to at least one risk, 2 billion to at least two, 364 million to at least four, 53 million to at least five, 4 million to at least six and 123,000 to at least seven (including 46,000 in Burma). “Children are on the front line facing the impacts of climate change,” summarizes Unicef boss Catherine Russell, calling for action.
“Not equal”
As for knowing what is the worst place for a child on Earth, “there is no short answer,” Tom Slaymaker, one of the authors of the report, told AFP. Given the number of children affected, they are exposed almost everywhere, both in poor countries and in richer ones. “But they are not equal” in the face of these risks, he insists.
Unicef thus highlights the greater or lesser “vulnerability” of children depending on their access to certain basic services (health, food, water, education, protection). And publishes this data to help governments better prepare for the expected worsening impacts of global warming.
However, there are “hot spots,” continues Tom Slaymaker, citing sub-Saharan Africa, part of South Asia and small island states. For the combination of at least three hazards, “unsurprisingly”, countries with many children are systematically at the top of the list for the number of children exposed (Bangladesh, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, etc.).
But in terms of percentage of children affected by country, it is sub-Saharan Africa, particularly the Sahel, which comes out on top, notably the Central African Republic, Chad, Mali, Niger, and South Sudan, where the impacts are exacerbated by the authorities’ difficulties in dealing with them. In Chad for example, a country in humanitarian crisis with difficulties accessing water, electricity or food, “more than 95% of children” are threatened by at least three hazards (drought, extreme heat and heatwave), one of the highest figures in the world.
Unicef also highlights the risk of a “vicious circle” in these fragile countries: drought leads to lower harvests and more food insecurity, dry soils are conducive to fires and are then more vulnerable to floods, floods which destroy houses or schools, and force populations to flee. All of which makes displaced children more sensitive to the next disaster and less equipped for the future, due to lack of schooling. Not to mention the increased risks of diseases such as malaria and cholera.
Other particularly vulnerable countries, the 39 island states facing structural constraints: isolation, small territory likely to be completely ravaged by a hurricane, without the possibility of taking refuge elsewhere, limited fresh water, dependence on imports…
A refuge country?
The data does not really show any countries spared. “In many countries, there are small pockets of population not exposed to these risks,” indicates Tom Slaymaker, who notes that these pockets tend to be found in the northern hemisphere, particularly in Scandinavia.
But that’s because the report only looks at the eight most common risks globally, he insists, emphasizing that children in these countries can suffer other unaddressed threats, such as the melting of glaciers or the thawing of permafrost.
