‘Heat waves impact 92 millionn kids in Europe’

GENEVA: A staggering 92 million children in Europe and Central Asia, comprising half of the region’s young population, face heightened exposure to the frequent heat waves, twice the global average, the Unicef said in a new policy brief published on Thursday.

Countries in these parts of the world are feeling the heat of the climate crisis, and children’s health and well-being are suffering the most, Xinhua news agency quoted Regina De Dominicis, the Unicef regional director for Europe and Central Asia, as saying in the brief.

“This is expected to rise to all children in 2050. The multitude of negative implications on the current and future health of such a significant proportion of the region’s children must be a catalyst for governments to urgently invest in mitigation and adaptation measures,” she said.

The brief highlights that children are exceptionally susceptible to the repercussions of heat waves, with their core temperatures rising significantly higher and faster than adults, placing them at serious risk of illnesses, including heatstroke.

Furthermore, heat waves also affect children’s education by hampering their ability to concentrate and learn, said the report.

In recent years, heat waves in Europe and Central Asia have become more frequent with no signs of abating, and the frequen-cy is set to increase even further over the coming years.

Under the most conservative estimates of a global temperature increase at 1.7 degrees Celsius, the report warned that a con-cerning future awaits children in Europe and Central Asia. (IANS)

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