Three in four children in South Asia exposed to extreme high temperatures: UNICEF

In 2020, a whopping 76 per cent (three in four) of children living in South Asia were exposed to extremely high temperatures, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

An estimated 460 million children in the region under age 18 were exposed to temperatures of over 35 degrees Celsius for 83 or more days in a year, the UN body said in a press release, citing 2020 data, the latest available.

The figure is considerably higher compared to the global tally of 192 million (32 per cent). Globally, one in three children are exposed to extremely high temperatures. The recent episodes of extreme weather events happening across the world raise further concerns about a future where children are expected to face more frequent and severe heatwaves. July 2023 was the hottest month ever recorded globally.

Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF regional director for South Asia, said:

With the world at global boiling, the data clearly show that the lives and well-being of millions of children across South Asia are increasingly threatened by heatwaves and high temperatures. Countries in the region are not the hottest in the world right now, but the heat here brings life-threatening risks for millions of vulnerable children.

In Bangladesh, Dhaka observed the highest maximum temperature recorded in decades of 40.6°C on April 15, 2023. In India, several northern and eastern cities recorded maximum temperatures above 44°C on April 18, 2023, it added.

Also read: Climate change contributes to violence against children – here’s how

Moreover, India is the most vulnerable or at the ‘greatest future risk’ country, according to a recent study. The analysis estimated that climate vulnerability would affect almost half the country’s residents.

UNICEF’s 2021 Children’s Climate Risk Index highlighted that children in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives and Pakistan are at extremely high risk of the impacts of climate change.

In regions that are already hot, extreme temperatures can quickly become deadly. Since late March 2022, a severe heatwave with temperatures crossing 40°C affected parts of India and Pakistan, a 2022 UNICEF document pointed out.

In parts of Pakistan’s southern Sindh province, about 1.8 million people were exposed to temperatures of 40°C in 2022. The scorching heat came less than one year after the devastating floods, which left most parts of southern Sindh underwater in August 2022. Over 800,000 children in flood-affected areas were at risk of severe heat stress in June 2023.

The climate crisis severely affected nearly 13.2 million children in Afghanistan in 2022, according to international non-profit Save the Children.

Children are more affected by heatwaves as they adjust to changes in environmental temperature slowly and are more vulnerable to heat-related health risks. Children are affected by heat in two broad ways: Risks to health and well-being; and social and educational risks.

Extreme temperatures can also affect their mental and emotional health. Severe heat affects children’s education and future livelihoods. Heatwaves lead to poor health and nutrition in children and are linked to lower achievement in school and lower school attendance.

More children will be exposed to heatwaves by 2050 compared to 2020, according to UNICEF.

During high temperatures, frontline workers, parents, families, caregivers and local authorities should protect children and take preventive measures against extreme weather events, UNICEF urged.

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