Climate crisis is a threat to children’s rights

Climate change has caused longer and more extreme rainy seasons on Pulau Gaya, Sabah.Photo: Universiti Malaysia Sabah

The climate crisis is a threat to children’s rights, according to a study by Unicef, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

For example, during the rainy season, landslides and flash floods cut off the only access road for Orang Asli parents living in Pos Kuala Mu, Perak, preventing them from sending their children to schools on motorcycles. During these times of extreme weather patterns caused by climate change, only 58% of children are able to attend school.

This is one of the case studies in the Impact of Climate Change on Children: A Malaysian Perspective (ICCC) report, which analyses climate and environment-related impacts affecting children in Malaysia.

Raised river levels caused by heavy rain are one of the climate impacts faced by the community in Pos Kuala Mu, Perak, making it difficult for children to cross the river to go to school. Photo:Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

The study, which focused on marginalised groups, including children from indigenous, undocumented, and urban poor communities, revealed that while the climate crisis encroaches on the rights of children, they are often overlooked in the design and content of climate policies and processes.

“Climate change is the single greatest challenge to the realisation of children’s rights and threatens to undo decades of global progress in improving children’s welfare,” said Unicef representative to Malaysia and special representative to Brunei Darussalam Dr Rashed Mustafa Sarwar.

Climate change is the greatest challenge to the realisation of children’s rights and threatens to undo decades of global progress in improving children’s welfare, says Dr Rashed. Photo: Unicef

“As the world’s biggest organisation advocating for children’s rights, Unicef will continue to spearhead protecting the environmental rights of children and ensure their healthy development and well-being,” said Dr Rashed in his keynote address.

The launch of the report which was aimed at promoting engagement between policy makers and academics, highlights key gaps and opportunities in strengthening children’s rights to a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.

“Climate change exacerbates existing inequalities and hardships for children in need. In a crisis, poorer families experience a harder time coping with external shocks,” he said.

This situation is highlighted in the ICCC report, from findings based on three case studies among marginalised communities at Pos Kuala Mu, Pulau Gaya in Sabah, and Projek Perumahan Rakyat Sungai Bonus in Kuala Lumpur.

For children who are already disadvantaged, the stakes are even higher. According to UKM Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology professor and lead researcher of the study Dr Mazrura Sahani, extreme weather events in these areas have impacted children’s schooling and education, increased barriers towards accessing basic health services and supplies such as food and water, lowered family income stability, and heightened susceptibility to infectious diseases, thus exposing children to a wider range of health hazards.

Extreme weather events in certain areas have impacted children’s schooling and education, increased barriers towards accessing basic health services and supplies such as food and water, lowered family income stability, and heightened susceptibility to infectious diseases, says Dr Mazrura. Photo: Universiti Malaysia Sabah

“Analysis of policy and legal documents shows that children are often overlooked in the design and content of climate policies and processes.

“Climate change and environmental degradation impact everyone on the planet, but children face additional risk and have lower tolerance levels to such negative effects. Even though children bear the brunt of impact from climate and weather-related disasters, such as floods and forest fires, they are the least equipped and empowered when combating climate change, said Dr Mazrura.

Need for child-sensitive laws and policies

The ICCC report highlights the need for policy makers and key influencers to set in place child-sensitive climate change and environmental policies in Malaysia.

Presently, laws and policies pertaining to the environment don’t recognise children as rights-holders and important stakeholders. In addition, primary laws and policies governing children and public health don’t address environmental issues. This gap weakens the protection of children’s health and well-being against climate change.

The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the complex interconnection between environment, health and economy based on many studies, says Dr Ramzah. Photo: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

UMS Research and Innovation deputy vice chancellor and co-researcher of the study Associate Professor Dr Ramzah Dambul said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the complex interconnection between environment, health and economy based on many studies. As we proceed towards being endemic, it is the right time for the country to rebuild sustainably, placing children and climate change at the top of the agenda. This must start with our National Recovery Plan.”

“The ICCC report clearly underscores what is at stake: the development and survival of children and generations to come,” said Dr Ramzah.

Based on Unicef’s Children’s Climate Risk Index, Malaysia ranks 61st among third world countries where children are the most at risk from climate change.

Tall buildings surrounding PPR Sungai Bonus, Kuala Lumpur, and a lack of green lungs in the city, create a heat island phenomenon that blocks free air movement, resulting in a hot and humid microclimate that children have to live in. Photo: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Through partnerships between development practitioners and academics, Unicef, UKM, and UMS are working hand-in-hand to identify opportunities for the government to ensure that all children in Malaysia are better protected from the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation.

With the gathering of global policy makers at the recent 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) in Glasgow from Oct 31 to Nov 13 to contend with the impacts of climate change and renegotiate climate agreements, the ICCC report has offered crucial data, case series reviews, desk research, and focus group discussions, among others, on the impacts of climate change on children in Malaysia. The resulting evidence strengthens the advocacy for children’s rights on climate change, and has provided Malaysian leaders the critical opportunity to prioritise children’s needs.

As Malaysia aligns its 12th Malaysia Plan with the Sustainable Development Goals, notably, SDG13 on Climate Action, the ICCC report is a call for action to mitigate climate change through a comprehensive child-sensitive strategy, concludes Dr Rashed.