PHNOM PENH: Regional policymakers, development partners and child-focused organisations have called for women and children to be placed at the centre of climate action, warning that the escalating climate crisis is increasingly driving protection, gender equality and social inclusion challenges across Southeast Asia.
The message emerged during the Feb 12-13 Regional Dialogue on Sharing Good Practices and Lessons Learned on Social Inclusion of Climate Change on Women and Children in Asean, co-led by the Asean Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children representatives from Cambodia and Thailand, with support from Agence Française de Développement and World Vision International.
Opening the dialogue, held in Siem Reap, World Vision Cambodia national director Janes Imanuel Ginting stressed that climate change must no longer be viewed solely as an environmental issue.
“That is why we are here today. Because climate change is not only an environmental crisis. It is a child protection crisis. A gender equality crisis. And a social inclusion crisis,” he said, reaffirming that resilience efforts must prioritise the most vulnerable populations.
The urgency comes as Asean remains among the world’s most climate-exposed regions, with recent years ranking among the warmest on record.
Experts at the forum warned that rising temperatures and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns are disrupting education, threatening health and undermining livelihoods — impacts that fall disproportionately on women and children.
A key highlight of the dialogue was the growing role of youth in shaping climate policy discussions.
Paris, a 16-year-old Cambodian youth leader, shared reflections drawn from child-led research conducted with peers across East Asia, emphasising that those most affected by climate change should help design the solutions.
The regional study, “Young Minds: ShapingClimate Action and Disaster Risk Reduction for a Sustainable Future”, engaged 678 children and 83 adults across six countries and documented widespread concern about climate impacts.
Researchers found that extreme weather events — including flooding, drought and heatwaves — are increasingly disrupting children’s daily lives, schooling and family income.
Physical health, mental well-being, education and household livelihoods were identified as the areas most heavily affected by climate-related disasters.
The study also highlighted rising emotional distress among young people, with many reporting feelings of fear, anxiety and concern about the future as climate threats intensify.
Despite these challenges, children are emerging as active contributors rather than passive victims, documenting environmental impacts, conducting research and engaging decision-makers.
“Children are not only victims of climate change. They are powerful agents of change,” Ginting said.
The findings reinforce calls for more inclusive climate strategies, particularly as an estimated 385 million people in Asia face hunger while only a small share of climate finance supports child-responsive programmes.
Participants said this funding gap underscores the need to integrate social protection and youth participation into national and regional climate frameworks.
As a child-focused organisation, World Vision said meaningful youth engagement is essential to building accountability and long-term resilience.
Empowering young people leads to more grounded and sustainable responses to environmental and social challenges.
The dialogue concluded with a shared recognition that climate adaptation policies must move beyond infrastructure and mitigation to address human vulnerability — ensuring that no child is left behind as Asean confronts a rapidly changing climate. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
