adminRejoice Makoni
Herald Correspondent
The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has urged young people to fully participate in strategies that are aimed at mitigating climate change.
The call came from UNICEF climate specialist Ms Egline Tauya during a media briefing on climate and children in Harare yesterday ahead of the World Environment Day held in Harare yesterday. UNICEF is a department in the United Nations economic and social organ that is responsible for delivering humanitarian aid.
The media briefing was attended by representatives from UNICEF, youth advocates and members of the media.
Ms Tauya said their main objective was to empower children as agents of change in finding innovative solutions for climate and environment change.
“Climate change crisis is a child right crisis and therefore climate adaptation and mitigation efforts need to include needs of children,” she said. “Statistics reveal that children are the most vulnerable to climate change and environment hazards. There is need to make sure that children are put at centre when implementing policies at all levels.
“Climate change impacts families and children’s ability to survive and thrive, interplays with socio economic factors and impacting on livelihoods.
“Up to two thirds of preventable illness and death from environmental hazards is experienced by children, predominantly by those aged under five years. Climate impacts worsen their situation through placing additional risk to their rights and access to basic services.
“Climate change can result in lack of water and sanitary conditions required to avoid public health outbreaks which negatively impact child health as well as risk increased food insecurity, violence against children and women and disruptions to schooling.”
Ms Tauya said while children were the most affected by climate change, they were largely missing from the climate dialogue, hence urgent action was needed to enable children’s participation in the climate agenda.
“Basic services like water, sanitation, health, education, nutrition and protection services must be designed and delivered factoring in the known and foreseen risks posed by increasingly frequent storms, floods, and droughts,” she said.
“While all efforts must be around ensuring that the results achieved for children remain in place, the way children are being supported and their needs addressed must adapt to the reality of climate change.” Speaking at the same briefing member of youth advisory committee on climate change Desire Nyagura said children were willing to articulate their climate-related experiences and needs.
“Children are at a greater risk during disasters and their opportunities are undermined during disasters such as floods and drought among others They are also prone to diseases and at a higher risk of getting injured,” he said.
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