By Hassan Zaggi

A report christened -The Climate Crisis Is a Child Rights Crisis: Introducing the Children’s Climate Risk Index, launched by the United Nation Children Fund (UNICEF) has indicated that Nigerian children are among those that are worst hit by the negative impact of climate change.

According to the report, climate change threatens the education, health and protection of Nigerian children.

The UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins, however, called on the relevant authorities to invest in the services children depend on to survive and thrive – such as water, healthcare and education.

According to him: “The climate crisis is a child’s rights crisis.

“Nigeria is not immune to the effects of climate change, but we can act now to prevent it from becoming worse.

“We need to  invest in the services children depend on to survive and thrive – such as water, healthcare and education –  to protect their futures from the impacts of a changing climate and degrading environment.”

The report ranks countries based on children’s exposure to climate and environmental shocks, such as cyclones and heatwaves, as well as their vulnerability to those shocks, based on their access to essential services.

The report revealed that approximately 1 billion children – nearly half the world’s 2.2 billion children – live in one of the 33 countries classified as “extremely high-risk”.

Nigeria, the report said, ranked second among these countries, together with Chad, and just after the Central African Republic (ranked first).

The report found Nigerianchildren are highly exposed to air pollution and coastal floods, but also that investments in social services, particularly child health, nutrition and education can make a significant difference in our ability to safeguard their futures from the impacts of climate change.

The Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI) however, revealed that globally 240 million children are highly exposed to coastal flooding; 330 million children are highly exposed to riverine flooding; 400 million children are highly exposed to cyclones; 600 million children are highly exposed to vector borne diseases; 815 million children are highly exposed to lead pollution; 820 million children are highly exposed to heatwaves; 920 million children are highly exposed to water scarcity; and 1 billion children are highly exposed to exceedingly high levels of air pollution

According to the report, an estimated 850 million children – 1 in 3 worldwide – live in areas where at least four of these climate and environmental shocks overlap. As many as 330 million children – 1 in 7 worldwide – live in areas affected by at least five major shocks.

The report also reveals a disconnect between where greenhouse gas emissions are generated, and where children are enduring the most significant climate-driven impacts.

UNICEF, therefore, called on governments, businesses and relevant actors to increase investment in climate adaptation and resilience in key services for children and to protect children, communities and the most vulnerable from the worst impacts of the already changing climate, critical services must be adapted, including water, sanitation and hygiene systems, health and education services.

It further called reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and to avert the worst impacts of the climate crisis, comprehensive and urgent action is required. Countries must cut their emissions by at least 45% (compared to 2010 levels) by 2030 to keep warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius.

UNICEF  also called for the provision of children with climate education and greens skills, critical for their adaptation to and preparation for the effects of climate change. Children and young people will face the full devastating consequences of the climate crisis and water insecurity, yet they are the least responsible. Inclusion of young people in all national, regional and international climate negotiations and decisions, including at COP26. Children and young people must be included in all climate-related decision making and ensure the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is green, low-carbon and inclusive, so that the capacity of future generations to address and respond to the climate crisis is not compromised.