Children are more vulnerable to climate change due to their developing physiology. Poorer and marginalized children in lower income countries are most affected. Climate change is increasing health risks like dengue fever and diarrhea. 1.7 million child deaths per year are caused by environmental pollution and climate change impacts diseases that harm children's health. Over half a billion children live in highly flood-risk areas and 300 million breathe toxic air. Adaptation is needed to build climate resilience for children's health, well-being, and education.

1. Children as more vulnerable sub-population
- Exposure even before conception
- Susceptible due to developing physiology, different baseline metabolism, less heat
adaptation capacity
- Exposure per unit body weight, per volume intake, longer exposure and potential
cumulative effects
- Dependence on caregivers
- Larger youth population than older in LMICs
- Poorly served by policy
- Poorest and marginalized children in lower income countries are disproportionately
affected by environment degradation and climate change.
Climate finance that improves children’s health and well-being

2. • Climate related extreme events: Flood, storm and drought are major climate
related disasters with effects on child health. The relationship between
rainfall and diarrhea showed that diarrhea increased as the rainfall increased.
• Climate change and infectious diseases: Dengue fever mortality is increasing
in Cambodia, Philippines and Vietnam. A positive co-relation observed in the
trend of dengue fever mortality and temperature increase. As for malaria,
simple regression on rainfall and malaria appeared to indicate a positive
correlation but decreased link after passing specific points.
Climate Change and Children’s Health

3. Climate Change and Children’s Health
1.7 million child deaths a year are attributable to a polluted environment such as indoor
and outdoor air pollution.
88% of climate sensitive Disability Adjusted Life Year (DALY) occurs in children. Impacts on
malnutrition and infectious disease will likely continue to represent the largest proportion
of the burden of disease of children attributable to climate change
More than half a billion children live in areas with an extremely high flood risk and around
300 million children live in areas with toxic levels of air pollution.
In East Asia Pacific, climate related extreme events (Flood, storm and drought) are major
climate related disasters with effects on child health. Climate change and infectious
diseases: dengue fever mortality is increasing in Cambodia, Philippines and Vietnam. A
positive co-relation observed in the trend of dengue fever mortality and temperature
increase.

4. CLIMATE &
EDUCATION
| PATHWAYS

5. CLIMATE & EDUCATION | IMPACTS
In Cambodia, during the 2000
floods more than 150 schools closed
for 9 weeks; roads leading to
schools were heavily damaged
In Mongolia, extremely dry summers
followed by cold winters (dzuds) are
linked to reduced enrollment in
mandatory schooling
Dzuds also have consequences for
health: children rural households in
dzud-affected areas are more likely
to be stunted
In Cambodia, during the
2015/2016 droughts, 600,000
children in over 3,000 schools
experienced water shortages –
which exacerbates diarrhea risk
and absenteeism
In Viet Nam, the 2016 droughts
affected farming livelihoods in 52
provinces – resulting in lower
purchasing power for schools
In Viet Nam, after Typhoon Damrey
(2017) 350 schools in 4 provinces
closed for 9 days
DROUGHTSFLOODS & TYPHOONS DZUDS

6. CLIMATE & EDUCATION | RESILIENCE INTERVENTIONS
In Cambodia, mobile temporary
learning spaces replace schools
affected by floods (MoEYS)
In Viet Nam, child-based disaster
risk reduction focused on awareness
raising and environmental education
(UNDP, Save the Children)
In Mongolia, child-based disaster
risk reduction focused on climate
education and child-led
interventions (UNICEF)
In Viet Nam, school retrofitting to
withstand impact of typhoons
(IrishAid)
In Mongolia, demonstration
kindergartens retrofitted with solar
panels, insulation and roof gardens
(GGGI/MEGD)
In Cambodia, flexible academic
calendar to account for the end of
the monsoon (MoEYS)
IMPROVING INFRASTRUCTUREADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE CHILD-CENTERED SOLUTIONS

7. Way forward
• Link climate and child health data building on the on-going health
information systems work
• Integrated and precautionary approaches with early intervention to control
the risks before they become established
• Further quantify the effects of climate change on children’s health through
enhanced tracking and monitoring of children’s environmental health and
projecting children’s disease burden under different climate change
scenarios (Sheffield & Landrigan, 2011)
• Better understand how climate change impacts on children will be modified
by gender, age and socioeconomic status especially in lower income
countries
• Identify specific climate mitigation and adaptation measures that are most
cost-effective with co-benefits from a children’s health perspective