UNICEF report on heat waves impact on children

Description

The climate crisis is rapidly accelerating and with it, heatwaves are becoming longer, stronger, more widespread and more frequent. Heat is especially damaging to children’s health and affects their education and future livelihoods. This report provides yet more evidence that children are on the front lines of the climate crisis.

Already, around 559 million children are exposed to high heatwave frequency and around 624 million children are exposed to one of three other high heat measures - high heatwave duration, high heatwave severity or extreme high temperatures. By 2050, virtually every child on earth – over 2 billion children – is forecast to face more frequent heatwaves. Children in northern regions will face the most dramatic increases in high heatwave severity while by 2050, nearly half of all children in Africa and Asia will face sustained exposure to extreme high temperatures. Almost every country is experiencing changing
heatwaves. 

These findings underscore the urgent need to adapt the services children rely on as unavoidable impacts of global heating unfold. 
Countries must act now by protecting, preparing and prioritizing children and preventing a climate catastrophe. 

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