UNICEF Report: Climate crisis threatening South Asian kids
UNICEF has recently published a research report: 'The Climate Crisis Is a Child Rights Crisis: Introducing the Children's Climate Risk Index (CCRI)'. This is slated to be the first in a series of yearly surveys and reports, based on CCRI. The Index ranks countries based on children's exposure to climate and environmental shocks from cyclones to heat waves, water logging to lack of water, and effect of common climate threats such as increased carbon dioxide emission and deforestation. India also features in the list, so let’s learn more about the dangers.
What are the major threats facing Indian children?
According to CCRI data, India has extremely high-risk of flooding and increased air pollution. They are repeated environmental shocks leading to socio-economic adversities for women and children. Millions of Indians will face 'acute water shortages' in the coming years, while at the same time flash floods would increase significantly in most of urban India. Not surprising, given that 21 of the world's 30 most polluted cities in 2020 were from India. Extreme climate-related events - heatwaves, storms, floods, fires and droughts – affect our children more than the adults every year and continue to burden our economy further. Rising global temperatures and changing weather patterns are putting the futures of millions of Indian children at constant risk. The report found that some areas are under constant danger from riverine floods and air pollution. In these areas, especially along Indian rivers and coastline, kids hardly recover from the effect of one disaster before another one hits them.
Which countries are high on climate risk?
Pakistan, Bangladesh Afghanistan and India are among four South Asian countries where children are at extremely high risk from the impact of the climate crisis, with a ranking of 14, 15, 15 and 26 respectively. Nepal, fortunately ranks at 51, while Sri Lanka is at the 61st place. Among nearby countries, Bhutan is at relatively low risk, ranking at 111. Approximately 1 billion children live in one of the 33 countries classified as ‘extremely high-risk’ according to ranking, and that includes the India and her three neighbours.