Exposure and Vulnerability of Children to Climate Hazards in India
Children in India, particularly those under 18, face significant exposure to climate hazards, according to the Children’s Climate Risk Report 2026 by UNICEF. This report highlights the extreme vulnerability of children to climate-induced challenges such as heatwaves, droughts, and air pollution.
Key Statistics and Findings
- Approximately 55% of children in India are exposed to at least three out of the eight major climate hazards: riverine floods, coastal floods, droughts (agricultural and meteorological), tropical storms, heatwaves, extreme heat, and sand/dust storms.
- Globally, 83.3% of children are exposed to at least two hazards, with 46% exposed to three or more.
- India ranks fifth globally in multi-hazard exposure, following Myanmar, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.
- India scores the highest (10) in exposure to extreme heat, and 8.84 in exposure to drought.
Climate-Sensitive Factors
- Major climate-sensitive factors affecting Indian children include vector-borne diseases like malaria and air pollution.
- Two-thirds of Indian children are exposed to malaria, while nearly 99% are exposed to air pollution.
Vulnerability and Capacity to Cope
The report also evaluates the capacity of nations to manage climate risks via their child-critical social systems, such as health, nutrition, and sanitation services.
- India's child vulnerability score stands at 3.44, indicating a relatively robust capacity to cope with climate risks, although still above the median score of 2.5.
- Countries like Niger, Chad, and South Sudan in Africa report much higher vulnerability scores, while the U.S.A. has a score of 5.31.
Conclusion
India's position in the 'quadrant of crisis' implies a significant challenge due to its high multi-hazard exposure and vulnerability scores. This calls for enhanced measures to protect children from climate risks.
