The burden of climate change on children born today

The burden of climate change on children born today

Subject – Environment

Context – In a study published in the journal Science, researchers have found that children born today will be hit much harder by extreme climate events than today’s adults.

Concept –

• In a study published in the journal Science, researchers have found that children born today will be hit much harder by extreme climate events than today’s adults.
• During his or her lifetime, a child born in 2021 is likely to experience on average twice as many wildfires, two to three times more droughts, almost three times more river floods and crop failures and about seven times more heat waves compared to a person who is, say, 60 years old today.
• The study is based on data from the Inter-sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP).

Inter-sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP)

• This is a community-driven climate-impacts modelling initiative that assess the differential impacts of climate change.

What needs to be done?

• Limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by phasing out fossil fuel use.
• If countries are able to follow through with their climate policies as decided under the Paris Climate Agreement, this effect could be limited to 22%, which is just seven percentage points more than the global land area that is affected today.