KATHMANDU: Millions of children in Nepal are facing growing and overlapping climate, environmental and disaster risks that threaten their health, nutrition, education, protection and future prospects, UNICEF has warned.
A new advocacy brief launched by UNICEF, titled Growing Up in a Climate Hotspot: The Risks Shaping the Lives and Futures of Nepal’s Children, highlights how climate change is already reshaping childhood across the country and calls for urgent action to put children at the centre of climate policies, financing and interventions.
Drawing on multiple national and global data sources, the brief paints a concerning picture of the environmental threats facing children in Nepal.
According to the findings, 9.9 million children are exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution, making it one of the most widespread environmental threats to children in the country. Similarly, 7.3 million children are exposed to drought, threatening water security, livelihoods, food production and nutrition, while 5.7 million face exposure to extreme hot days, putting their health, well-being and learning at risk.
The report further estimates that 2.9 million children are exposed to rainfall-triggered landslides, while 2.4 million face multiple high-intensity climate hazards, compounding their vulnerabilities and making recovery more difficult.
The brief notes that climate change is not only increasing children’s exposure to natural hazards but also placing growing pressure on essential services. Despite Nepal’s significant development gains, major vulnerabilities persist.
Only 47.5 per cent of the population has access to safely managed drinking water, one in four children under five is stunted, and 22 per cent of children live in multidimensional poverty. Climate-related shocks are also increasing the risks of child labour, child marriage, disease outbreaks and disruptions to education.
“The climate crisis is increasingly becoming a child rights crisis,” said Alice Akunga, UNICEF Representative to Nepal.
“Children have contributed least to climate change, yet they are among those bearing its greatest consequences. Every flood, drought, heatwave and pollution episode threatens children’s health, nutrition, education and protection,” she said.
As Nepal prepares to participate in global climate discussions at COP31, Akunga said the country has an opportunity and responsibility to ensure that children remain at the centre of climate action, climate financing and adaptation efforts.
The brief also highlights that climate risks are not experienced equally. Children living in poverty, girls, children with disabilities, those from historically marginalized communities and children in remote and climate-vulnerable areas face disproportionately greater risks, while having fewer resources to cope with and recover from disasters.
In a significant step towards promoting child- and youth-responsive climate action, the Government of Nepal formally endorsed the Declaration on Children, Youth and Climate Action during the National Climate Summit on October 29.
Launched at COP25, the first-of-its-kind global declaration has been endorsed by 78 countries to date. It commits governments to advancing climate action that recognizes the rights, needs and contributions of children and young people.
Building on Nepal’s international recognition for having one of the world’s most child-responsive climate plans, the signed declaration will be formally handed over to UNICEF representatives at COP31 in Türkiye, further highlighting Nepal’s commitment to placing children and young people at the centre of climate policy and action.
Ahead of COP31, UNICEF Nepal has urged the government to integrate children’s rights and needs into climate policies, adaptation plans, disaster risk reduction strategies and climate financing frameworks.
It has also called on governments, development partners and climate finance institutions to increase investment in child-responsive adaptation and loss-and-damage initiatives, including resilient health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), education, child protection and social protection services. Such investments, it said, should take into account age, gender and disability.
UNICEF has further urged national and subnational governments to use disaggregated, child-focused climate risk data to guide planning and prioritize the most vulnerable communities. The private sector has also been encouraged to support climate-resilient infrastructure, clean energy solutions and innovations that safeguard children’s well-being.
The organization has called on all stakeholders to ensure the meaningful participation of children and young people in climate decision-making at local, national and global levels.
The brief also underscores the importance of listening to children and young people, who are already leading community-level climate initiatives and advocating for stronger responses.
“Climate change is not a future problem for children; it is already affecting our lives today,” said Jayanti Bam, UNICEF Nepal Youth Advocate for Climate Action.
“When floods damage schools, children don’t just lose classrooms. We lose learning opportunities, routines, friendships and a sense of safety,” she said.
Bam added that young people want to be part of the solution and urged decision-makers to invest in climate-resilient schools and services, listen to children’s voices and provide them with meaningful opportunities to shape the future they will inherit.
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