AS the world grapples with climate change, a silent crisis looms large — the plight of children. A recent Unicef report, The Climate-Changed Child, brings to light a distressing picture. The report builds on Unicef’s 2021 Children’s Climate Risk Index, which found that one billion children globally are at extremely high risk from the impacts of the climate crisis. This staggering number includes many Pakistani children, whose futures are being whittled away by environmental degradation and climate-induced disasters. A pivotal issue in this crisis is water scarcity. As of 2022, 739m children are facing high or extremely high water scarcity, with 436m residing in areas of high or extreme water vulnerability. For Pakistan, grappling with severe water challenges, this data underscores the urgency for action. Moreover, climate change is disrupting education, a basic right. Annually, climate-related disasters are interrupting the education of 40m children globally, hindering long-term development and growth. Children’s unique susceptibility to climate change is intensified by environmental hazards such as pollution, extreme weather, and malnutrition. Their developing brains, lungs, and immune systems are particularly vulnerable. This issue spans low-and high-income countries alike, emphasising its global scale.

Alarmingly, children’s needs have been largely neglected in climate change responses. Only 2.4pc of climate finance is dedicated to child-focused activities, an oversight that significantly impacts our youngest generation’s future. As COP28 approaches, it is crucial to refocus our climate strategies and policies on children. Pakistan, alongside others, must commit to ensuring a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment for children. This involves integrating children’s needs and rights within the UN’s climate framework, adapting services, and reshaping education systems to withstand climate adversities. In addressing climate change, we must not forget to secure our children’s future. Amplifying their voices and needs in the climate conversation is not just an environmental imperative but also a moral one. For if we fail our children, we fail in the most profound way imaginable.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2023