Red Alert Campaign: Children’s voice on climate action
The world is passing through unprecedented complex situation due to climate crisis and COVID-19. Climate scientists are increasingly concerned that global heating will trigger tipping points in the Earth’s natural systems, which will lead to widespread and possibly irrevocable disaster, unless action is taken urgently. The future of more than 19 million children is at risk of disasters linked to climate change in Bangladesh (UNICEF). The impact is likely to be much closer than most people realise. But today’s children and young people are aware of the need to protect the environment and the Earth’s climate.
Nowadays the young generation is dealing with a very large extent of climate change issues at national and international platforms. Nature is extremely resilient, like our young people. Every person should take up action right now. It is not too late. We can make some changes and we need the voice of the next generation as well as their ability to listen and their willingness to take action on climate change.
Schooling is disrupted when disasters damage and destroy communication, educational infrastructure and equipment. Schooling is also disrupted when school buildings are used for shelters. In many locations in Bangladesh these disruptions are frequent, happening multiple times every year.
Around 26% of the annual 6.6 million deaths of children under-five are linked to environment-related causes and conditions (WHO). Extreme weather events and declining rural livelihoods can increase risk of child labor for boys and child marriage for girls. Worldwide, more than 150 million children work to support their families. Child labour is a direct consequence of poverty, but the fact that it is closely linked to environmental degradation is a new facet of this problem (TDH Child Labour Report 2017).
In Bangladesh, children are at risk of violence, exploitation, and abuse during and after disasters. Climate change is also eroding rural livelihoods, placing children at increased risk of child labour, child marriage and trafficking as families struggle to cope with less predictable seasons and more frequent harvest failures. Children’s health is highly in danger of climate change.
Climatic changes create troublesome disease patterns. Waterborne diseases are more widespread after any climatic events. Vector-borne diseases spread and prevail due to temperature changes. Globally diarrhoea is the second biggest killer of children which is resulting from flood and extreme weather events. The availability of safe drinking water is undermined by climate change and weather-related disasters leading to health problems. Poor health and malnutrition in childhood undermines development and lifelong prospects.
Around 25 million more children will be malnourished by 2050 due to effects of climate change (IFPRI). Malnutrition linked to extreme weather events may be one of the most challenging consequences of climate change. Increases in the price of food, caused by extreme weather events, climate variability or change, will disproportionately affect the poorest girls and boys in Bangladesh, with implications for other family expenditure on education, health, and other well-being factors.
Save the Children has been working on a Child Centered Climate Change Adaptation project since 2012 funding by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) aiming to empower the children’s capability and understanding of climate change as they are the ‘Future Leaders’ and could play important role in the climate crisis.
The aim is to identify action with the children, youth and experts for developing climate resilient plans in the national and sub-national levels; to conduct research on suitable climate adaptation technology and child-centered climate smart community; develop a monitoring system to feed into government planning cycles; advocate development of child-centered social protection measures as part of climate change adaptation strategies; influence policies and practices to ensure continuity of health services for children and women during seasonal and chronic crisis; and advocate incorporation of nutritional requirements that meet the needs of the most vulnerable groups into the adaptation plans of the agricultural, water, structural, community based adaptation and ecosystem based adaptation sectors–especially for children and youth.
However, in the face of the unfolding climate calamity, double burdened with COVID-19, it is imperative to devote greater attention and resources to keep children safe and ensure that child health, education and other services are shielded from the effects of climate change. Additionally, further investment should be made in green recovery programmes for economic reconstruction, better health, and biodiversity conservation. The needs of children must be placed squarely at the center of our response to those dangers – before the most destructive effects of climate change are unleashed.
Save the Children International announced the Red Alert campaign which aims to enhance the voice of children and youth, who are among the primary victims of climate emergency and the future leaders in national policy, planning and decision making process to respond to climatic crisis in Bangladesh and beyond. Today’s Red Alert campaign is the startup of engaging children and youth led advocacy to play an active role in the planetary emergency and provides some policy recommendations which comes for both the national and international platform. Those holistic recommendations will be carried out by the national and international climate actors for the well-being of children and youth which will help to make better planetary recovery.
As climate change is a global crisis, not only the Bangladeshi youth and children, but also the children and youths of all over the world should be united. Their voices should be heard and they should be ensures access to national and global platform to take part to negotiate strongly along with the promising solution to the climate crisis for the national and global commitment. Save the Children International strongly supports the voice of children and youth in the Red Alert campaign for green recovery looking at both climate action and COVID-19 pandemic situation.
* Md. Mostak Hussain, Dr. Nazmun Nahar Nur, Muzammel Haque: Child Centred Climate Change Adaptation Project,Humanitarian Sector, Save the Children in Bangladesh