Almost all of the world's children, including those from high-income countries, are now exposed to at least one climate hazard. According to a report from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), children are disproportionately affected by a range of intensifying climate-related risks that threaten their health, education, and survival.
Globally, children face increasing threats from heatwaves, storms, floods, and droughts. More than one billion children face at least three of these hazards at once, and half of the world's children are exposed to at least three overlapping climate hazards. Specifically, 1.8 billion children are put in danger by droughts and 1.2 billion by extreme heat, with 296 million exposed to the combined effects of drought, extreme heat, and heat waves.
The report finds that these impacts are often exacerbated by the inability of governments to cope with climate hazards. As a result, governments urgently need to invest in infrastructure, adaptation, and disaster management capabilities to reduce the exposure of children.