UNICEF warns about the impacts of climate change on young people.

Brazil Agency - Children and adolescents are the ones who suffer the most impacts from climate change, and, therefore, need to be a priority in debates and policies aimed at addressing the issue. Around 40 million young people are exposed to more than one climate or environmental risk in Brazil, and climate change compromises the guarantee of fundamental rights, warns the report Children, Adolescents and Climate Change in Brazil, launched this Wednesday (9), by the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef).

According to the report, the climate crisis affects rainfall frequency, temperature range, heat waves, and interferes with the quantity and intensity of extreme events, such as cyclones and wildfires, including the prolongation of extreme droughts. "All these phenomena affect human life in various ways, jeopardizing the well-being, development, and very survival of people across the planet," the study says.

 According to Paola Babos, the interim representative of UNICEF in Brazil, climate change and environmental degradation weaken the rights of children and adolescents. “Children and adolescents contribute the least to climate change, but they are the ones who will suffer the consequences most intensely and for the longest time. In this sense, climate change is a direct threat to a child's ability to survive and thrive,” said Paola during the presentation of the report.

Paola Babos highlighted that the impact is greater on children and adolescents who already live in vulnerable situations, such as indigenous people, residents of traditional communities, Black people, migrants and refugees, and specifically, girls. However, the report states that most public policies and national plans related to climate and the environment make little or no mention of, or completely ignore, the specific vulnerabilities of children and adolescents in general, and these groups in particular.

According to UNICEF, among the needs that must be respected and guaranteed for this age group are the rights to life, health, development, learning, protection against violence, access to safe drinking water and sanitation, and social protection. According to the report, approximately 15 million people live in urban areas without access to safe water and in rural areas in Brazil. For 2,3 million of these people, the water available for drinking and personal hygiene is not treated in any way.

The study also points out that, according to the School Census (Inep, 2019), 26% of Brazilian public schools do not have access to public water supply, and almost 50% do not have access to the public sewage system.

Recommendations

In reporting the impacts, the report proposes measures that could alter the current scenario in Brazil and warns that a problem already exists, which could become much larger. "We need to deal with it now and mitigate future impacts, reduce pollution, and promote adaptation to the already inevitable changes."

The list of recommendations begins with a call for absolute priority for children and adolescents on the climate agenda, so that they do not have to grow up deprived of the full realization of their rights. The defense and strengthening of institutions and legislation responsible for guaranteeing preservation and addressing environmental degradation are also mentioned to ensure the achievement of greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.

The report notes that it is necessary to guarantee funding and resources for the implementation of climate policies and projects that are sensitive to the rights of children, adolescents, and young people, as well as the development of strategies that take into account the specific risks and potential of indigenous children, adolescents, and young people, as well as those from other traditional communities, Black people, and girls.

The study also advocates prioritizing investments in education and skills development for children, adolescents, and young people regarding the environment, climate change, and ecological skills. "Empowering them to face the climate crisis and participate in solutions and the growing green and blue economy," explained Paola Babos.

UNICEF also proposes adapting public services that serve children and adolescents based on vulnerability and disaster risk scenarios, as well as the possibilities of long-term temperature changes, in order to guarantee the infrastructure of schools and hospitals, ensuring the well-being of users and the continuity of essential services.

The list concludes by suggesting the engagement of society and the productive sector in defending the adoption of environmental preservation measures and sustainable management of production and transportation chains. “Also stimulating the transition to a green and blue economy, investing in children and young people, opening opportunities for their productive inclusion in these solutions, truly bringing their potential capabilities to the new economy, where we need to invest,” said Paola Babos. She highlighted that this is the first time a global generation of boys and girls in a world that has become even more uncertain due to climate change and a degraded environment.

"That is why UNICEF, with this report, reinforces the urgency of prioritizing the rights of children and adolescents on the climate agenda, acting to change this reality," he added.

Young people at COP 27

UNICEF and the civil society organization Viração Educomunicação sent three young Brazilian environmental activists to the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 27), which is being held in Egypt: Maria Eduarda Silva, 19, from Bonito, Pernambuco; Victor Medeiros, 18, from the southern coast of São Paulo; and Tainara da Costa Cruz, 18, from the Kambeba people, from the Três Unidos community, located in an environmental protection area on the left bank of the Rio Negro, in Amazonas. The three joined a group of 40 young people from various Brazilian collectives and social organizations attending the conference.

According to Rayanne França, an official with UNICEF's Adolescent Citizenship Program in Brazil, the goal of youth participation is to engage children and adolescents in the climate debate. "Our role here is to strengthen this engagement. We know that the three young people who are with us on this issue are making their voices heard and ensuring that this message reaches all government officials, municipalities, schools, and discussion forums."

UNICEF's monitoring and evaluation officer in Brazil, Danilo Moura, said that young people living in vulnerable regions are concerned about the situation and are actively participating in debates about climate change. “When you live in poverty, it's always more difficult; it seems like a luxury to worry about things that aren't immediate concerns, but our experience shows that young people and teenagers are discussing the issue. They care a lot and have very valuable ideas and critiques on the topic. And these are young people from all kinds of family backgrounds.”

During preparations for COP27, UNICEF representatives met with members of the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamaraty) to present the main recommendations of the study. "We believe that Brazil can play an important leadership role in this climate change agenda with children and adolescents," revealed Moura. He added that work to strengthen measures for these age groups will continue in the next government.

COP 27, which started last Sunday (6) and runs until the 18th of this month. Tomorrow (10), on Youth and Future Day at COP27, the three young Brazilians will bring their contribution to forums at the meeting, which will allow the exchange of experiences with young people from all over the world.

The United Nations Children's Fund works in some of the most challenging places on the planet, serving the most disadvantaged children. The fund's work covers 190 countries and territories.