Global child climate vulnerability reveals systemic inequities in adaptation and mitigation
Original framing: “Half of world’s children exposed to at least three climate hazards, Unicef says” — The Guardian - World
The current crisis mirrors colonial patterns of resource extraction and displacement that historically weakened Indigenous and rural communities’ climate resilience. The 20th-century Green Revolution, for instance, disrupted traditional agricultural systems, increasing dependency on climate-vulnerable monocultures.
The systemic vulnerability of children to climate hazards is not a natural outcome but a product of historical and contemporary inequities in resource distribution, governance, and knowledge systems.
Indigenous and non-Western models offer holistic, intergenerational frameworks that challenge the technocratic and extractive paradigms dominating global climate policy. By integrating these perspectives and empowering children as active participants in climate solutions, we can build a more just and resilient future. This requires not only financial investment but a radical shift in how we define and prioritize child well-being in the context of climate change.