UNICEF Report Highlights Nearly a Billion Children Globally Exposed to Extremely High Water Stress

Context:

• Recently, UNICEF released “The Climate Changed Child” report throws a spotlight on the threat to children due to water vulnerability.

Key Findings of the Report:

• Global Water Stress Exposure: Approximately half of the world’s children (953 million) faced high or extremely high water stress in 2022.

• Vulnerability Breakdown:
  • In 2022, 739 million children experienced high or extremely high water scarcity.
  • 436 million children lived in areas with high or extremely high water vulnerability.
• High Heatwave Frequency: 
  • Building on the Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI) released in 2021, the authors found that 559 million children are currently exposed to high heatwave frequency. 
    • This can impact all the 2.02 billion children globally by 2050, the new report added
  • Around 470 million children encountered high or extremely high drought risk.
• Health Implications: Extreme weather events linked to climate change, like floods, compromise safe water supply.
  • Floods contribute to the contamination of water, leading to health issues like diarrhea.

Key Recommendations: 

• Global Movement and Climate Action Plan:
  • UNICEF calls for a global movement and launches the Sustainability and Climate Action Plan.
  • The plan aims to address global gaps in protecting vulnerable children.
• UNICEF’s Call to Action at COP28:
  • Children on Climate Change Agenda: Urges COP28 to prioritize children in the climate change agenda.
  • Global Stocktake: Calls for embedding children and intergenerational equity in the Global Stocktake process.
    • Global Stocktake is a process for countries and stakeholders to see where they are collectively making progress towards meeting the goals of the Paris Climate Change Agreements and where they are not.
• Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA): Advocates for the inclusion of children and climate-resilient essential services in the decision on the Global Goal on Adaptation.
  • GGA collective commitment under Article 7.1 of the Paris Agreement is aimed at “enhancing” (the world’s) adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience, and reducing vulnerability to climate change.
• Loss and Damage Fund: Calls for making the Loss and Damage Fund child-responsive, embedding child rights in governance and decision-making processes.
  • The fund is aimed to provide financial assistance to countries most vulnerable and impacted by the effects of climate change and was a highlight at COP27.

News Source: DTE

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