CLIMATE CHANGE AND EFFECTS ON THE RIGHTS OF A CHILD.
Climate change is a long-term shift in temperature and weather patterns, it is a change of
weather conditions over a long period. The effects of climate change include drought, flood, air
pollution, soil erosion, shortage of food, and poverty. Worthy of note is that children are not the
cause of this problem but are mostly affected. Climate change crisis is a child’s rights crisis and
must be addressed.
In many parts of the world, people are facing multiple climate-related impacts such as severe
drought and flooding, air pollution and water scarcity, leaving their children vulnerable to
malnutrition and disease. Almost every child on earth is exposed to at least one of these climate
and environmental hazards. Without urgent action, this number will go up (reported by UNICEF
2021).
Children face a lot of climate crises largely due to poor essential services, especially Africa
because most governments are unable to effectively tackle these problems. Without an urgent
solution to this crisis, climate change is a big threat to the child’s education,nutrition,
health,survival, development and future at large. Currently, events such as floods, air pollution,
hotter temperatures and violent storms are life threatening to the development and survival of a
child.
EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON CHILDREN
In an article by SAVE THE CHILDREN INTERNATIONAL on Climate Crisis, some of the effects
of Climate Change on children were highlighted:
- Extreme temperatures leave many families living in poverty with less food, less clean
water, lower incomes and worsening health. - Children’s immune systems are still developing, leaving their rapidly growing bodies
more sensitive to disease and pollution. - Extreme events can destroy homes, schools, child care centers and infrastructure critical
to children’s well-being. - Droughts and flooding can destroy crops and cut access to clean water.
- The UN warns that many families will have to choose between starvation and migration.
In Nigeria, children experience increased temperatures and polluted air leading to health
problems such as asthma and other dangerous respiratory conditions. There is also the problem
of flooding which has left many children homeless and out of school.
The Way Forward (Nigeria as a case study)
Children should be a part of climate change discussions and deliberations as it affects them and
their voice must be heard on the issue.
Government should Implement policies to prohibit indiscriminate tree felling as this poses a
huge range of problems to the health, development and survival of a child.
Government should construct drainages, bridges and dams to reduce the incidence of the flood.
TheGovernment should take action against gas flaring and oil spillage to reduce the negative
impact on farming, water life and overall health of the child.
Success Oghosa Osaretin is a Lawyer, Child Protectionist and Professional Volunteer.
Contact details:
LinkedIn: Success Oghosa Osaretin
Email: Successoghoslegal@gmail.com
Facebook: Success Oghos.
