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Africa: 1 in 3 Children Exposed to Severe Water Scarcity - Unicef
Unicef, 13 November 2023
The climate changed world - with dwindling water supply and inadequate water services - is also changing children, altering their mental and physical health, new report warns Read more »
1 in 3 Children Face Water Crisis Amid Climate Threats - Report
A new UNICEF report has revealed that 1 in 3 children, or 739 million globally, currently live in areas with high or very high water scarcity, a situation exacerbated by climate change.
The report, titled "The Climate Changed Child," emphasizes the double challenge of decreasing water availability and inadequate water and sanitation services, posing greater risks to children. It highlights the global impact through three tiers: water scarcity, water vulnerability, and water stress.
The Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia are identified as regions with the highest exposure. Notably, 436 million children face extreme water vulnerability, leading to health risks and preventable deaths. The report urges investment in safe water and sanitation as a crucial defense against climate change impacts. It also calls attention to the insufficient consideration of children in climate discussions, with only 2.4% of climate finance directed towards child-responsive projects.
UNICEF calls on world leaders at COP28 to prioritize children's concerns, emphasizing their inclusion in decisions and actions for a sustainable and climate-resilient future. The organization advocates for incorporating children into COP28 decisions, the Global Stocktake, the Global Goal for Adaptation, and child-responsive measures in the Loss and Damage Fund. Beyond COP28, UNICEF urges sustained efforts to protect children's lives, health, and well-being, emphasizing the need for global climate action that centers on the welfare of every child.
Documents
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13 November 2023
The Climate-Changed Child
- Author:
- UNICEF
- Publisher:
- UNICEF
- Publication Date:
The climate crisis is not just changing the planet - it is changing children. From the moment of conception until they grow into adulthood, the ... see more »
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South Africa: 'South Africa's Freshwater Realities Need to be Acknowledged, Followed by Less Talking to Win Arguments'
allAfrica, 17 October 2023
Water is a basic human need and a fundamental resource essential to our existence. Challenges brought about by its scarcity remind us how it sustains our world. Lacking access to… Read more »
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Nigeria: Water Scarcity On Nigeria's Coast Is Hardest On Women - Six Steps to Ease the Burden
The Conversation Africa, 24 March 2023
Imagine waking up before dawn every day to fetch water for your family. You trek to the nearest water source, miles away, with only a jerrycan to carry the precious liquid. You… Read more »
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Africa: Across Africa, Water Conflict Threatens Security, Health, and the Environment
Independent Media Institute, 24 November 2022
Water is a finite resource on our planet. We can only rely on what we have, which translates to about 2.5 percent of drinkable fresh water. Of that amount, only 0.4 percent… Read more »
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Somalia: Children Are Dying of Hunger Amid a Severe Drought
Shabelle, 16 November 2022
Baidoa, Somalia -- Almost half of the 16 million people who live in Somalia are facing extreme hunger. More than a third of the east African nation's 5 million children under the… Read more »
InFocus
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Food systems are both a cause and casualty of the climate crisis, but they also have a huge mitigation potential. As a result, food systems transformation has become a top priority ... Read more »
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Africans are facing some of the greatest challenges of our time. Food insecurity, resulting from flooding and drought, along with conflict, the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic, ... Read more »
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The continuing conflict in Sudan, entrenched in global geopolitics and the historical legacy of the previous leadership of now-deposed President Omar al-Bashir, is increasingly ... Read more »
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A new report from the United Nations has found that rich countries have decreased Read more »
The climate changed world - with dwindling water supply and inadequate water services - is also changing children, altering their mental and physical health, new report warns.
