New Section27 report: Climate change threatens child health and education

Section27 - a public-interest law centre based in South Africa, focusing on using the law to advance human rights and social justice - has released a new report. 

Titled Climate Change as a Human Rights Risk: A Resource for Health and Education Rights Activists in South Africa, the report focuses on the impact of climate change on children's access to healthcare and basic education.

It explores the current state of children’s rights in the context of climate-change adaptation and mitigation efforts, and examines policies aimed at protecting children’s rights in a changing climate. It highlights that climate change is not merely an academic issue but a real and significant threat.

In 2021, South Africa experienced devastating floods in KwaZulu-Natal, resulting in the loss of life and property damage. More recently, a tornado caused destruction and fatalities in the province in June. Those who were in vulnerable economic and social situations were the hardest hit. The destruction of school infrastructure and healthcare facilities had a ripple effect on the national budget.

The report underscores the importance of children's health in the context of climate change, as they are particularly vulnerable to both direct and indirect effects of climate change, including floods, temperature fluctuations, droughts, wildfires, infectious diseases, food insecurity, and air pollution.

Children and infants have specific nutritional and hydration needs that are essential for their growth and development. Furthermore, their respiratory systems are more susceptible to being constricted by pollutants due to their narrower pathways. Children can also experience significant psychological stress and trauma as a result of climate change.

The report also reveals the education sector as one of the sectors most susceptible to the effects of climate change. This vulnerability is evident in the direct impacts on basic education, including the destruction of school infrastructure caused by extreme weather events like floods, as well as the hindered educational achievement resulting from excessive heat. Additionally, there are indirect consequences on education, such as those related to food insecurity, air pollution, and health.

Some recommendations from the report to address these issues include:

• The construction of schools that are more resilient to climate change, using appropriate materials for infrastructure.
• Remote-learning systems to be implemented to ensure continued education in the event of extreme weather, when schools may be inaccessible due to damage to infrastructure. Allocation of adequate funding to prepare for and respond to such events is paramount.
• Additionally, the report proposes retrofitting healthcare facilities, such as painting roofs white to reduce heat absorption.
• It also advocates personalised early-warning systems for disasters, such as mobile applications that alert pregnant women to high temperatures and advise them on protective measures.
  Global warming can result in previously cooler areas becoming warmer, attracting mosquitoes and increasing the spread of malaria. This can put additional strain on healthcare facilities in those areas. Therefore, healthcare systems should be adaptable, and early-warning systems should be implemented to mitigate the impact on people without exacerbating climate change.