UNICEF: half of children face multiple climate threats

PanARMENIAN.Net - Nearly half of the world’s children — around 1.1 billion — are exposed to at least three simultaneous climate hazards, putting their health, education and even survival at risk, according to UNICEF’s new Children’s Climate Risk Report 2026.

The report also notes that nearly every child worldwide faces at least one climate-related hazard, while more than 4 million children may be exposed to as many as six climate risks simultaneously.

According to UNICEF Armenia, the report is based on the latest available data and maps the eight most common climate hazards affecting children: coastal flooding, droughts, extreme heat, wildfires, heatwaves, river flooding, sand and dust storms, and tropical cyclones.

For the first time, the report identifies where and to what extent multiple interconnected climate hazards affect children and the social services essential to their well-being. It also outlines practical measures governments can take to address these challenges.

“Heatwaves, wildfires, droughts and floods continue to disrupt children’s lives. Today, half of the world’s children live in conditions where at least three simultaneous climate hazards affect their daily lives,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

According to the report, the most common combination of climate hazards is drought, extreme heat and heatwaves. More than 296 million children live in areas where all three occur simultaneously.

The second most common combination — drought, extreme heat and tropical cyclones — affects more than 115 million children worldwide. In Africa’s Sahel region, one of the areas most affected by climate change, more than 4 million children simultaneously face heatwaves, extreme heat, and sand and dust storms. In several Asian countries, including Bangladesh, Myanmar and Pakistan, children are exposed to a greater number and intensity of climate risks than in any other part of the world.

High-income countries are not immune to overlapping climate shocks. In Italy, for example, more than 6 million children are exposed to prolonged heatwaves and drought. At the same time, Italy’s experience demonstrates that investments in climate adaptation can reduce some risks facing children, although stronger action is needed as the climate crisis deepens.

Beyond the eight primary climate hazards, the report also evaluates children’s exposure to air pollution and malaria, two risks that are particularly sensitive to climate change. The findings show that air pollution affects nearly all children globally, while 1 billion children are at risk of malaria, creating additional threats for those already exposed to multiple climate hazards.

The report’s methodology assesses children’s climate risk by considering exposure to hazards, the likelihood of encountering them, and levels of vulnerability, including access to healthcare, education, water supplies and other essential services.

The document warns that without immediate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, climate hazards will become more frequent and intense, placing greater pressure on public systems and budgets while threatening children’s well-being.

To protect children’s rights from climate threats and strengthen adaptation to environmental changes, UNICEF has called on governments, businesses and other partners to:

• Reduce emissions and implement ambitious measures to fulfill international commitments based on the latest scientific evidence. This includes a rapid and phased transition away from fossil fuels and a fair shift toward renewable energy sources.
• Protect children through inclusive climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction and responses to loss and damage, prioritizing the resilience of social services. Children and the services they depend on should be integrated into national adaptation plans, sectoral strategies, disaster risk management and emergency response programs. This includes creating safe and green learning environments, developing climate-resilient healthcare systems, ensuring food security, introducing multi-hazard early warning systems, and strengthening water, sanitation and social protection services.
• Expand meaningful participation of children and young people in climate-related decision-making and action by investing in climate education, knowledge and skills development, while strengthening the capacity of policymakers and professionals to respect children’s rights to be heard, express opinions and participate in decisions affecting their lives.

The report assesses eight major climate hazards affecting children — coastal flooding, droughts, extreme heat, wildfires, heatwaves, river flooding, sand and dust storms, and tropical cyclones. It also examines two additional climate-sensitive risks: air pollution and vector-borne diseases. At the same time, it considers seven key dimensions of child vulnerability: water, sanitation, nutrition, child protection, health, education, poverty and survival.

Data on Armenia show that more than 580,000 children are exposed to at least two climate hazards, while around 30,000 children face at least three climate hazards simultaneously.

More than 650,000 children are exposed to meteorological drought, over 375,000 to agricultural drought, 460,000 to frequent heatwaves, and nearly 20,000 to river flooding.

More than 668,000 children in Armenia are exposed to air pollution.