Human-induced climate change is exposing up to 560 million children aged between zero and nine years to at least one additional month of dangerous heat every year, with children in South Asia, Southeast Asia and West Africa among the worst affected, a new global study has found.
The research, led by Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and published on Wednesday in Science Advances, found that 43 per cent of children aged zero to nine are already experiencing at least 30 additional days of dangerous heat stress annually because of climate change.
The researchers said the figure was nearly three times higher than the 190 million people aged 60 to 69 who are exposed to at least one additional month of dangerous heat caused by human-induced climate change.
The study, described as the first global analysis to quantify heat exposure directly attributable to climate change across different age groups, warned that children were bearing a disproportionate share of the health risks associated with rising temperatures.
It projected that the number of children aged zero to nine exposed to at least one additional month of dangerous heat would rise to 620 million, or 49 per cent, if global warming reaches 1.5 degrees Celsius.
At 2 degrees Celsius of warming, the number is expected to increase further to 650 million children, representing 59 per cent of the age group.
The researchers warned that both warming thresholds are extremely likely to be breached if countries continue with current climate policies.
The study said children were already experiencing disproportionately high levels of dangerous humid heat, with the risks expected to intensify as global temperatures continue to rise.
The researchers combined population data with advanced climate models and climate attribution science to determine the extent to which human-induced climate change was responsible for exposure to dangerous heat.
They found that climate change had almost tripled the number of children exposed to at least five months, or 150 days, of total heat stress globally.
According to the analysis, about 120 million children, representing nine per cent of the global child population in the age group, would have been exposed to at least five months of heat stress in a world without climate change.
However, the number has risen to 350 million children, or 27 per cent, as a result of climate change.
This is nearly three times the number of adults aged 60 to 69 exposed to at least five months of total heat stress, estimated at 120 million, or 18 per cent of people in that age group.
The findings also revealed sharp geographical inequalities, with the largest increases in dangerous humid heat occurring in tropical regions and poorer countries where populations are younger and children make up a larger share of the population.
South Asia, Southeast Asia and West Africa were identified as the regions with the highest number of children currently exposed to dangerous heat stress.
The researchers said the geographical disparity means countries that have contributed least to the climate crisis could face some of its most severe consequences for children.
They warned that children would remain disproportionately exposed to dangerous heat under future warming scenarios, even as populations age globally.
The study adds to growing concerns about the health and developmental consequences of extreme heat for children, who are more vulnerable to heat stress because of their developing bodies and reduced ability to regulate body temperature.
Prolonged exposure to extreme heat can affect children’s physical health, cognitive development and overall wellbeing, while also increasing the risk of dehydration, heat-related illnesses and other health complications.
The researchers said the findings show that the health consequences of climate change are no longer a distant threat but are already being experienced by millions of children.
They called for urgent action to limit global warming and strengthen protection for children and other vulnerable populations in regions already facing increasing exposure to dangerous heat.
The findings also underscore the need for stronger climate adaptation measures, particularly in poorer and tropical countries where rising temperatures, youthful populations and weak health and social protection systems could combine to deepen the risks facing children.
The study warned that without stronger climate action, hundreds of millions more children could be exposed to dangerous levels of heat in the coming decades, placing their health, development and future at increasing risk.