Study: climate change and extreme heat endanger 560 million children

Human-caused climate change is exposing around 560 million children worldwide to at least one additional month of dangerous heat every year, with younger generations bearing a disproportionate impact, the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) said on Thursday (27/8).

The study, led by Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) with contributions from UEF researchers, found that around 43 per cent of children aged nine and under now experience at least 30 additional days of heat stress each year as a result of climate change.

That figure compares with around 190 million people aged 60 to 69 who face the same increase in heat exposure, according to the study published in the journal Science Advances.

The research focused on humid heat, which is particularly dangerous because high humidity reduces the body’s ability to cool itself through sweating.

Children are especially vulnerable because their bodies heat up more quickly than those of adults and are less efficient at regulating temperature.

Extreme heat can lead to dehydration and heatstroke, while prolonged exposure can also affect learning and cognitive development, the researchers said.

“The impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly visible and severe. Our research shows that children and future generations are highly exposed to these impacts, and the losses they face will worsen without action,” said Annalisa Savaresi, a professor at UEF and one of the study’s authors.

The largest climate-driven increases in humid heat occurred in several tropical regions and poorer countries, where populations tend to be younger and therefore more children are exposed. South Asia, Southeast Asia and West Africa currently have very high numbers of children exposed to dangerous heat stress, the researchers said.

“Children in developing countries face disproportionate exposure to extreme climate conditions, both now and in the future, despite having contributed the least to past greenhouse gas emissions,” said Rosa Pietroiusti, the study’s lead author and a PhD researcher at VUB.

The researchers called for sharp reductions in fossil fuel emissions to limit global warming in line with the Paris Agreement, as well as increased climate funding for developing countries.