19 April 2024

Children and youth call for access to quality climate education

In 2023 alone, millions of people were displaced or died due to extreme weather events. Women and girls in climate hotspots disproportionally suffer the effects of climate impacts, pushing more girls out of school and placing them at greater risk of child marriage, violence, and exploitation. Climate-related disasters disrupt the education of  40…, Making education systems climate-resilient: Global progress , Governments worldwide are taking action to make sure that children have access to climate education, that teachers are supported to teach about climate and sustainability, and that climate-related events do not disrupt children’s education. However, a rapid survey of UNICEF offices in 94 low- and middle-income countries shows inconsistent progress…, Young people: Not just victims but climate action leaders, Children and young people are investing their time and energy in taking climate action to make our world greener and more sustainable. Let us take inspiration from these children and young people who are championing our planet every day.  , Francisco Vera, Portrait of Francisco Vera, 14, UNICEF Youth Advocate from Colombia, made on 5 December 2023 during the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) at Expo City Dubai, United Arab Emirates. I am 14 years old, and I was born in Colombia. I live in Spain and I am an activist and defender of the human right to a healthy, clean, and dignified…, Tina, My name is Tina from Egypt, and if you're reading this, you're probably as eco-curious as I am! I am part of a youth collective. We wanted to do more than just catch people's attention. We wanted to change our mindsets. So, we brainstormed and launched "Us and Climate Change." The plan was to equip teachers to be climate mentors, giving them the…, Afroza, Afroza, Bangladesh I am an 18-year-old youth leader from Bangladesh. In our community people face a lot of problems like floods and storms, losing their homes and livelihoods. I am actively involved in youth development and community engagement. I collaborate with fellow youths to develop their skills and tackle pressing issues such as climate…
29 January 2024

Picturing a future amid the climate crisis

The climate crisis is affecting children everywhere – their lives, their communities and their health. Bangladesh – densely populated and with mostly flat and low-lying terrain – is one of the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including extreme weather, rising sea levels, and devastating floods. One in three children in…, Rohim, 12, Bangladesh. A boy poses with his arms folded at a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar. Bangladesh. A child’s drawing on the theme of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is pictured at a Multi-Purpose Centre in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. UNICEF/UNI496641/Nihab “I want to be a scientist, because they invent things to help people…, Bushara, 10, Bangladesh. A girl poses at a Multi-Purpose Centre at a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar. Bangladesh. A child’s drawing on the theme of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is pictured at a Multi-Purpose Centre in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. UNICEF/UNI496633/Nihab “I want to be a teacher to help my family.”, Ayat, 12, Bangladesh. A boy poses for the camera at a Multi-Purpose Centre in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. Bangladesh. A child’s drawing on the theme of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is pictured at a Multi-Purpose Centre in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. UNICEF/UNI496629/Nihab “I want to help out the community.”, Sadiya, 12, Bangladesh. A girl poses at a Multi-Purpose Centre at a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar. Bangladesh. A child’s drawing on the theme of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is pictured at a Multi-Purpose Centre in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. UNICEF/UNI496631/Nihab “I want to be a teacher to share the knowledge I’m getting…, Mohammad, 10, Bangladesh. A boy poses at a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar. Bangladesh. A child’s drawing on the theme of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is pictured at a Multi-Purpose Centre in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. UNICEF/UNI496630/Nihab “I want to be a religious scholar. And a doctor. And an engineer!”, Abdul, 13, Bangladesh. A boy poses with his arms folded at a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar. Bangladesh. A child’s drawing on the theme of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is pictured at a Multi-Purpose Centre in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. UNICEF/UNI496628/Nihab “I want to be a doctor.”, Jainana, 10, Bangladesh. A girl poses at a Multi-Purpose Centre at a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar. Bangladesh. A child’s drawing on the theme of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is pictured at a Multi-Purpose Centre in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. UNICEF/UNI496635/Nihab “I want to be a teacher and I want to travel.”, Mohammad, 12, Bangladesh. A Rohingya refugee child poses at a Multi-Purpose Centre in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. Bangladesh. A child’s drawing on the theme of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is pictured at a Multi-Purpose Centre in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. UNICEF/UNI496640/Nihab “I want to be a teacher.”, Tasmin, 9, Bangladesh. A girl poses at a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar. Bangladesh. A child’s drawing on the theme of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is pictured at a Multi-Purpose Centre in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. UNICEF/UNI496636/Nihab “I want to teach English and Burmese.”, Shohida, 12, Bangladesh. A child’s drawing on the theme of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is pictured at a Multi-Purpose Centre in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. UNICEF/UNI496632/Nihab “I want to be a doctor. I’ll manage to somehow.”, Climate change is changing children everywhere, The climate crisis is not just changing the planet, it is changing children. Children’s bodies and minds are uniquely vulnerable to pollution, deadly diseases and extreme weather, and they are disproportionately affected by the impacts of disasters, environmental degradation and the climate crisis. Children are not simply inheritors of our…, More about the Rohingya crisis, Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugee children have spent six years in exile from their home country after fleeing violence in Myanmar. Many of them have been born into this limbo. UNICEF has been on the ground in the refugee camps in Bangladesh from day one. And we are still there, working with partners for every Rohingya refugee child who…