Children and youth are not just passive victims of climate change, but also powerful agents of change. Scientists say the world has already warmed by about 1.2 degrees Celsius since the 19th century, and the last seven years have been the warmest on record (2015-2021). Of India’s 35 states, 27 are prone to tropical cyclones, heavy rains, severe storms, floods and droughts. Kerala has also witnessed extreme weather events such as Cyclone Ockhi in 2017 and extreme rains followed by floods and landslides in 2018 and 2019. The impact of climate change has exposed every child and youth on every continent to more frequent, intense and devastating climate risks, including air pollution, water scarcity, heat waves, vector-borne diseases, cyclones and river and coastal flooding. Children are already uniquely at risk of death and harm from climate change – they are less able to survive extreme weather and more vulnerable to toxic chemicals, temperature changes and disease. (K.L. Rao, Mathrubhumi)

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