ISLAMABAD: Climate change is increasingly becoming more than an environmental crisis. For millions of children around the world, it is also a growing threat to their health, education, safety and future.
According to the figures cited in UNICEF’s 2026 Children’s Climate Risk Report, nearly 1.1 billion children — almost half of all children worldwide — are exposed to at least three overlapping climate hazards, including drought, extreme heat, floods, wildfires and tropical storms. More than four million children face as many as six overlapping climate threats.
The scale of exposure is significant. Around 1.5 billion children are exposed to heatwaves, while approximately 1.2 billion face extreme heat conditions. Drought affects about 1.8 billion children, creating risks to food security, nutrition and access to safe water.
Meanwhile, around 337 million children live in areas exposed to riverine flooding, while approximately 662 million are exposed to tropical storms capable of damaging homes, schools, healthcare facilities and other essential infrastructure.
Climate-sensitive diseases are another major concern. Around one billion children live in areas exposed to malaria, while changing temperatures and rainfall patterns can influence the spread and transmission of infectious diseases.
Climate threats can disrupt childhood
The effects of climate change extend well beyond direct exposure to extreme weather.
Rising temperatures, water insecurity and climate-related disasters can contribute to malnutrition, waterborne diseases, respiratory problems and heat-related illnesses. Disasters can also force families from their homes and disrupt children’s access to education, healthcare, clean water, nutritious food and safe shelter.
The World Health Organization has estimated that climate change could cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths annually between 2030 and 2050 from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoeal disease and heat stress alone.
Children are particularly vulnerable because their bodies and developing physiological systems can be less able to cope with extreme heat, air pollution, infectious diseases and other environmental stresses.
When floods, storms, droughts or heatwaves strike, children can also experience prolonged disruption to schooling and essential services. For vulnerable communities, repeated climate shocks can deepen existing inequalities and limit children’s opportunities to build a secure future.
Building a safer future for children
Protecting children from the impacts of climate change requires more than emergency response. It requires investment in climate-resilient communities, schools and healthcare systems, as well as reliable access to clean water, nutritious food and safe shelter.
Disaster preparedness, early-warning systems and climate-resilient infrastructure can help communities anticipate hazards and reduce their impacts. At the same time, reducing greenhouse-gas emissions remains essential to limiting the severity of future climate risks.
Children have contributed little to the climate crisis, yet they are among those who will live with its consequences for the longest.
Every child deserves more than survival. They deserve the opportunity to grow, learn, play and dream in a safe and healthy environment.
Protecting children today means building a healthier planet and more resilient communities for generations to come.
For every child. For every community. For a safer, healthier future.
