Impact of Climate Change On Children.

By Loretta Boamah.

The well-being and sanity of future generations is being threatened and endangered due to climate change. Research has shown that after the industrial revolution period, human activities have contributed to the rise in change of weather patterns due to the high release of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Some of the greenhouse gases included methane,nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide. A research made show that carbon dioxide is more emitted in the atmosphere than the other gases.

Some human activities that cause climate change includes; burning of fossil fuels, cutting down of trees and industrialization. All these activities have an impact on children’s heath and welfare.

Climate change refers the  gradual shift in weather patterns for a long period of time .   According to the UNICEF, climate change has an impact on everyone but children stand a high chance of being affected due to their vulnerability. Some of the impact it has on children includes;  respiratory diseases, malnourishment, interruption in education.

The exposure to biomass fuels indoors leads to death and respiratory illness. 

In the homes where children are exposed to low ventilation and smoky conditions is a risk factor for sickness and fatal illness. 

Children who are more vulnerable to air pollution such as the release of fossil fuels contradicts respiratory diseases such as asthma as their bodies are growing and lungs are developing.

Consider 2020, proven to be the hottest year by UNICEF, had seen an increase in the death of many; the majority being children, from pneumonia. It is more evident in the poorest countries. An estimated number of 850 million children-one third of the global total are exposed to four or more stresses including heatwaves, air pollution, cyclones flooding and water scarcity all of which challenge children’s education (UNICEF). In Ghana the number of importations exceeds exportation focus being on food, rendering the country’s food progress challenged.

All these have become dented with the continuous increase in climate change. In times of drought, children are the most pitiable and unlikely to survive as they can not swim because they depend on adults during emergencies.

The extinction rate of sea levels often at the low lying of coastal areas reduces the availability of fresh water and causes floods. Children living at these low lying coastal areas are exposed to high risk of drowning due to the inability to swim and likely dependent on adults during emergency situations. 

According to the Bangladesh Health and Injury survey in 2003 which indicated that more than 171,000 households were affected by the floods and that caused the death of 17,000 children between the ages of 1-18 years. 

The impact of climate change on children have effects on their health and wellbeing. 

Under nutrition as one of the impact of climate change on children is the slow growth in children and a common infection that lasts longer then frequently becomes fatal. 

This effect is caused by the extreme weather events such as floods, droughts causing deforestation and resource degradation which leads to poverty. 

This blog thus seeks to consider the implications of climate change on children and create awareness on some of the importance of taking action.

#considerchildrenwellbeing    #thefuturegenerationmustcount