Impact of Heatwaves on Children: UNICEF
Source: DTE
GS II: World Geography and Indian Geography; GS III: Environment and Conservation

What is discussed under Impact of Heatwaves on Children: UNICEF?

1. About the Report
2. How to Save Children from Heat Wave?

Why in News?

According to a new UNICEF research, by 2050, nearly all of the world’s children will experience more frequent and severe heat waves.

About the Report

• According to the report, The Coldest Year of the Rest of Their Lives, at least four to five hazardous heat waves are currently exposed to over 559 million youngsters per year.

  

• Around 624 million children are already exposed to one of the other two high heat measures, such as severe high temperatures.
• Around 559 million children are already exposed to high heatwave frequency.
• Whether the world achieves a “low greenhouse gas emission scenario” with an estimated 1.7 degrees of warming in 2050 or a “very high greenhouse gas emission scenario” with an estimated 2.4 degrees of warming in 2050, it is predicted that nearly every child on the planet, that is, over 2 billion children will experience more frequent heatwaves.
• By 2050, over half of all children in Africa and Asia would experience prolonged exposure to extremely high temperatures.

Need of reducing global warming

• These results highlight the critical need to modify the services that children rely on as the inescapable effects of global warming manifest.
• In order to reduce the worst effects of the other high heat measures, it also presents the case for a more significant decrease in emissions.

Impacts on children

• Youngsters will struggle to control their body temperature due to these heat waves.
• As a result, people become more sensitive to conditions including asthma, chronic respiratory problems, and cardiovascular diseases.
• Depending on how hot the world becomes, millions more youngsters will be exposed to intense heat waves and extremely high temperatures.
• Children in northern countries will experience the most significant increases in high heatwave intensity.
• Extreme atmospheric temperatures might produce drought, which will make it difficult to have access to clean water and wholesome food.
• According to the report, prolonged heat waves would impede children’s growth and push families to relocate.

How to Save Children from Heat Wave?

• Protecting children from climate devastation by adapting social services.
• Preparing children to live in a climate-changed world.
• Prioritizing children and young people in climate finance and resources.
• Preventing a climate catastrophe by drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions and keeping 1.5 degrees Celsius alive.

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