Bangladesh has about 53,407,032 people under the age of 18, with one out of every five youngsters fighting for their lives against climate change and poverty. According to a report by academics from Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Save the Children, more than one crore of Bangladeshi children bear this tremendous weight. Save the Children promotes the next generation of climate leaders by engaging with students and youth climate organizations, allowing them to better address children’s vulnerability to future climate shocks.
According to Mostak Hossain, humanitarian director of Save the Children Bangladesh, the World Bank projects that 20 million individuals in Bangladesh would be internal migrants by 2050, with approximately 40% of them being children. According to the study, nearly 350 million children in Asia are impacted by both extreme poverty and the effects of climate change. He emphasized how these children are still vulnerable in these scenarios as a result of our planning tactics in our National Adaptation Plan, but it is encouraging that it is acknowledged that these children are among the most vulnerable categories.
The frequency and severity of humanitarian and cost-of-living crises are projected to escalate, according to Save the Children, if the climate and inequality crises are not handled immediately. To estimate the number of children affected by the dual calamity, Save the Children assessed the proportion of children affected by poverty and climate change in 1,925 sub-national regions across 159 countries, which accounts for 98% of the world’s child population.
Children from higher-income countries account for a considerable proportion of the 121 million children who face the dual threats of extreme poverty and climate change, with 28 million living in the most developed countries. 12.3 million of these children, or more than two in every five, live in the United States or the United Kingdom. According to the data, South Sudan has the most children infected (87%), followed by Mozambique (80%) and the Central African Republic (85%). India, with up to 223 million children, has the biggest proportion of poor children who are also suffering the most from the climate disaster. Nigeria and Ethiopia follow, with 58 million and 36 million children living with this double burden, respectively.
Save the Children CEO Inger Ashing noted that global inequities are exacerbating the climate catastrophe and its consequences, particularly for children and low-income households. She suggested that leaders keep children’s rights and voices in mind as they prepare to travel to the COP27 and G20 meetings. They must attain high goals while ensuring that youth have meaningful and safe ways to engage in decision-making. She went on to say that in order to unlock funding for countries attempting to protect children from its effects, the world’s richest nations—whose historical emissions have been a major contributor to the climate and inequality crises—must take the initiative. Fixing the global debt relief mechanism, as well as financing for climate change, are key components.
