WUNRN
CHILDREN & CLIMATE CHANGE -
GIRLS - EAST ASIA & PACIFIC CHILDREN HIGHLY VULNERABLE
___________________________________________________________________
Direct Link to Full UNICEF 39-Page
Report:
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_60507.html
BANGKOK,
14 November 2011 – According
to a UNICEF report, Children’s Vulnerabilities to Climate Change and Disaster Impacts
in East Asia and the Pacific, children will be among those most
affected by climate change. Millions of children across East Asia and the
Pacific already suffer from a lack of access to clean water and proper
sanitation, and are vulnerable to food shocks and risks of disease. Climate
change is expected to worsen this situation.
The leading killers of children
worldwide are highly sensitive to climate change.
UNICEF Pacific Representative, Dr.
Isiye Ndombi said “higher temperatures have been linked to increased rates of
malnutrition, cholera, diarrhoeal disease and vector-borne diseases like dengue
and malaria, while children’s underdeveloped immune systems put them at far
greater risk of contracting these diseases and succumbing to their
complications.”
The UNICEF report released today
presents an analysis of the climate change trends and potential impacts on
children in East Asia and the Pacific, drawing on findings from five
UNICEF-commissioned country studies in Indonesia, Kiribati, Mongolia, the
Philippines and Vanuatu, as well as children’s own perspectives on climate
change and other research. This research was supported by Reed Elsevier, which
works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish
more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet and New Scientist.
“The findings in this report remind
us of the connection between climate change and the other challenges
confronting children,” said Anupama Rao Singh, UNICEF Regional Director for
East Asia and the Pacific. “They also remind us that children’s experiences,
and the risks they face in terms of their health, education and development,
are unique.”
While the report suggests that the
impacts of climate change vary from country to country, children in all
countries were aware that changes in their environment were already present.
In Kiribati, children told
researchers that coastal erosion was worsening. In Mongolia, children noted
harsher winters and declining water resources. In the Philippines, children
spoke of heavier rainy periods and in Vanuatu, children reported increased
water contamination from saltwater intrusion.
“Children often know more about the
climate change issue than their parents or grandparents, because issues about
climate change are being taught in school and because children are accessing
environmental and other media through electronic communication sources more
regularly than their elders are,” said Dr. Ndombi.
In a region where one in every four
children is already stunted due to poor nutrition, the report suggests that
more frequent disasters such as flooding, cyclones and droughts could have a
long-term negative impact on agricultural production leading to higher food
prices and a corresponding increase in malnutrition rates.
Agriculture, vulnerable to changes
in temperature, precipitation and water salinity, encompasses more than 50 per
cent of livelihoods in the Asia-Pacific region, and a significant portion of
GDP for a majority of countries.
Children in Indonesia, Mongolia and
the Pacific reported that climate change has affected their families’ livelihoods
and in some cases it has caused parents to take them out of school to help
collect water and fuel and supplement household income.
“Engaging children in adaptation and
disaster reduction strategies will be critical to future success. Children have
unique perspectives on their environment, which makes them a vital player in
improving community capacity to address climate change risks,” said Rao Singh.
“Children are not passive bystanders
and should never be treated simply as helpless victims. They have capacities
which form the basis for their active participation in emergency response,
preparedness and mitigation. They are effective communicators of risk and
drivers of change in their communities,” said Dr. Ndombi.
Evidence demonstrates that when
children are educated, informed and involved, they share this information with
others in their communities and are better able to prepare and protect
themselves.
“The impacts of climate change on
the lives and well-being of children are real and the policies and decisions
made today will set the tone for years to come,” said Rao Singh. “Now is the
time to put in place adaptation strategies that ensure that the risks specific
to children are addressed. By doing this, we will go some way in helping to
build a climate-resilient world for children.”