Tvisha VarmaContributing Author, Rightantra Tanya GoelOutreach Manager, Rightantra We all know that Climate Change is the gradual change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular a change apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels. This daunting increase in the atmospheric temperature leads to a variety of drastic changes in nature. For example: forest fires, melting of the glaciers (which leads to flooding), declining water supplies (droughts) and season shift. But what has it got to do with children? How does climate change affect children specifically? While it is largely believed that animals face harsher effects of climate change, this is merely a misconception and in reality, humans face more dire effects of climate change. And while all of humanity faces the adverse effects of climate change, it is the children, the future generation and the adults of tomorrow who end up paying the heaviest price. It is estimated that today, around 2.2 billion children are growing up facing the impacts of climate change. Representing over 30% of the world's population, children have to disproportionately face the effects of climate change. What do children feel about Climate Change?
Us, children and adolescents, are quite concerned and disappointed with the way that the current situation is being dealt with. We are not happy that the adults in charge — those who should be making our lives better, seem to be ignoring the problem and not treating the situation with the urgency necessary. All the decisions they make today will heavily impact our tomorrow. Students around the world walk out of school with banners and megaphones in hope that by doing so, their voices will be heard. They want the politicians to get together and come up with solutions to climate change and find a way to fix the damage we've done before it becomes irreversible. How do schools address climate change? Schools play an essential role in forming a child’s view and perspective on a topic. The way they address it has a lasting effect, hence they should treat it with significance and seriousness. Schools show documentaries on what climate change is which keeps their students aware of the world around them. Furthermore, some schools have clubs and campaigns which explore ways to help the environment and what their role as adolescents is. Nonetheless, sometimes this isn’t enough to make the child comprehend the severity. Teachers themselves have admitted that very little time is devoted to teaching about climate change due to curriculum constraints. What is being done about climate change? It is rightly said, that we don't inherit the world from our forefathers, rather we borrow it from our future generations. Children being essential actors in responding to the climate crisis, the world collectively owes it to them to put all efforts behind solutions that can make a difference, such as reducing vulnerability to disasters, improving the management of water resources, and ensuring that economic development does not happen at the expense of environmental sustainability. Children are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In developing countries, climate change is projected to exacerbate the top five causes of death for children under five. They are the least responsible for creating climate change but will bear the brunt of its impacts. How communities and governments plan for and respond to climate change through policies and practical actions today will have a lasting effect on children’s futures. While general awareness regarding climate change and its perils has increased in the last few decades, the response remains highly inadequate for a problem as grave as the one looming over all of our heads. However, in the recent past, several efforts have been taken at an international level, such as the Paris Agreement, wherein it was stated that, as climate change has been demonstrated to have both a direct and indirect impact on a wide range of human rights, including the rights of the child. States should "respect, promote and consider their respective human rights obligations, [including]... the rights of children" in climate action, as called for by the Paris Agreement. However, there remains a lot which can be done at a national level by States. Some of these include:
References: > https://www.unicef-irc.org/article/928-child-rights-at-risk-the-case-for-joint-action-with-climate-change.html > https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/fact-sheet-climate-crisis-child-rights-crisis > http://www.childreninachangingclimate.org/uploads/6/3/1/1/63116409/realising_childrens_rights_in_a_changing_climate.pdf
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