Climate Crisis Threatens Childhoods Across Eastern and Southern Africa
The devastating impacts of climate change are rewriting the story of childhood for millions of children across Eastern and Southern Africa. From floods displacing families in Kenya to cyclones obliterating schools in Mozambique, the crisis is disrupting lives and futures in ways that demand urgent attention.
Children, who bear no responsibility for the climate emergency, are paying the highest price. In Somalia, repeated climate shocks have displaced millions of young people, while in Zambia, droughts and floods have disrupted education for 5 million students over two decades. These disruptions ripple far beyond the classroom. Families pushed to the brink by failing crops and destroyed livelihoods often resort to desperate measures, including child labor and early marriages.
The toll is both human and economic. A recent analysis by UNICEF and Dalberg reveals that climate-related disasters—floods, droughts, cyclones, and heatwaves—have already caused $1.3 billion in direct damage to education systems across the region. Without intervention, these losses could triple by 2050, affecting 520 million students and potentially costing up to $380 billion in lost future earnings. In Zambia alone, climate disruptions have slashed potential future earnings by $5 billion.
Investing in Resilience
The good news? Solutions exist. Investing in climate-resilient infrastructure is among the most effective strategies. Every dollar spent on resilient education systems can yield up to $13 in avoided future losses. This principle extends beyond schools to essential services like clean water and sanitation, which are increasingly threatened by droughts, flooding, and salinization.
Governments across the region are already leading the way. Mozambique mandates that all schools meet resilient construction standards. Ethiopia and South Sudan are expanding solar-powered water and health systems to ensure services remain operational during droughts. Kenya has integrated early warning systems into schools, while South Africa has embedded climate education into its curriculum. Madagascar, recovering from recent cyclones, unlocked nearly $3 million in rapid financing to bolster resilience and recovery efforts.
However, these initiatives must be scaled up. Stronger social protection systems are also critical to ensure families can survive climate shocks without resorting to harmful coping strategies.
Addressing the Hidden Costs
Beyond the economic losses, children face profound non-economic impacts—lost learning opportunities, psychosocial stress, and disruptions to their development—that are often overlooked in climate responses. Recognising these hidden costs is essential to crafting holistic solutions.
Funding remains a major hurdle. Between 2006 and 2023, only 2.4% of multilateral climate fund proposals targeted projects addressing children’s needs. This gap underscores the urgency of directing resources toward protecting the most vulnerable.
A Turning Point: The FRLD Meeting
The upcoming 8th meeting of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) in Zambia on April 24 marks a critical moment. This gathering offers an opportunity to prioritise children as a climate-vulnerable group and direct financing toward safeguarding the services they rely on.
The stakes are high. Every day of delay deepens the impacts on children’s lives and futures. Yet, there is hope. By investing in climate-resilient systems and prioritising the needs of children, we can lay the foundation for a prosperous Africa, as envisioned in Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Protecting children from climate change isn’t just a moral imperative—it’s a necessity for a sustainable future. The time to act is now.
— Reported by Nexio News
