Climate change has a disproportionate impact on children. They're more vulnerable and less able to cope with the physical, psychological and social consequences compared to adults.
In 2024 alone, at least 242 million students in 85 countries had their education disrupted by extreme climate events including heatwaves, floods and storms. Understanding how climate change affects children is crucial for creating policies and programmes that protect the youngest and most vulnerable members of our society.
Updated in January 2026
Educational Disruptions
Climate change is having a devastating impact on children's ability to learn. Extreme weather events disrupted schooling for 242 million students across 85 countries in 2024 - that's one in seven students worldwide.
Heatwaves were the most disruptive climate hazard, affecting over 118 million students in April 2024 alone. In Bangladesh and the Philippines, schools closed completely, while Cambodia shortened the school day by two hours to protect children from dangerous heat. Rising temperatures, storms, floods and droughts damage school infrastructure, make routes to school impassable, create unsafe learning conditions and impact students' ability to concentrate.
The timing of these disruptions is particularly harmful. September 2024 saw at least 16 countries suspend classes at the critical start of the school year due to extreme weather, with Typhoon Yagi alone impacting 16 million children across East Asia and the Pacific.
Jok*, 12, at his school in Akobo West, South Sudan. Education would not seem an obvious casualty of climate change. But in South Sudan, children are at the receiving end of a chain reaction that is putting their schooling – and their future – in jeopardy. In this corner of South Sudan, climate change has sparked a series of devastating floods, which have wrecked homes and ruined crops. They have also closed the local school.
Ethel, 12, lives with her grandmother in a displacement camp in southern Malawi after floods ripped through her family home. She and her family had to travel by canoe across the Shira river in the middle of the night to escape the floods. She dreams of one day being a nurse because she likes their outfit and wants to help people.
Displacement and Instability
Weather-related disasters have driven 43.1 million child displacements over a six-year period between 2016 and 2021 - approximately 20,000 children displaced every day. Floods and storms accounted for 95% of these displacements, though droughts triggered over 1.3 million child displacements, with Somalia among the most affected countries.
When children are forced from their homes, whether temporarily or long-term, they face multiple risks. They may become separated from parents or caregivers, amplifying dangers of exploitation, trafficking and abuse. Displacement disrupts access to education and healthcare, exposing children to malnutrition, disease and missed immunisations. Based on current climate projections, riverine floods could displace almost 96 million children over the next 30 years - though with climate change accelerating, the actual numbers will almost certainly be higher.
Malnutrition and Food Security
Climate change threatens children's nutrition through multiple pathways. In Africa, staple crop yields have declined by 30-50% depending on the region and crop type. For children under five, inadequate nutrition during these critical developmental years leads to stunting - lifelong cognitive disabilities from which they can never fully recover.
Droughts and heatwaves create cascading effects on food security. Droughts and heatwaves were associated with an additional 124 million people facing moderate or severe food insecurity in 2023. Climate stressors also heighten risks of waterborne and foodborne diseases - WHO data indicates children under five bear 30% of foodborne fatalities globally, despite having access to contaminated water being largely preventable with proper infrastructure.
Madleen, 11, by the ocean at dusk on an island in Shefa Province, Vanuatu.
Heat-Related Illnesses
Children's bodies respond differently to heat than adults, making them uniquely vulnerable to rising temperatures. They heat up faster, sweat less efficiently and cool down more slowly. Infants are particularly at risk as they're less able to regulate their body temperature and more prone to dehydration.
The numbers tell a stark story: the average person was exposed to 16 days of dangerous heat in 2024 that wouldn't have occurred without climate change. For infants and older adults, that figure climbs to over 20 heatwave days per person - a fourfold increase over the past 20 years. Heat exposure during pregnancy increases risks of preterm births, the leading cause of childhood deaths. One in three children globally are currently highly exposed to heatwaves.
Anxiety and Mental Health Impacts
The psychological toll of climate change on children is profound and lasting. Systematic reviews published in the Journal of Global Health found consistent evidence of increases in post-traumatic stress and other mental health disorders in children and adolescents following climate-related events.
Research from the United States found that adults who experienced extreme climate events before age five face increased risks of poor mental health and anxiety. Evidence from Argentina showed that childhood exposure to severe climate events reduced average years of schooling and increased risks of poverty and unemployment in adulthood. Beyond the trauma of sudden disasters, children living in areas experiencing slow-onset climate impacts like prolonged droughts face chronic stress and anxiety about their futures.
Apollonia, 15, photographed by the water near her home in a community affected by rising sea levels in Malaita Province, the Solomon Islands.
Sara, 15, at the climate march she attended organised by the child-led group Respect Our Rights (ROR) in Prishtina, Kosovo
Poverty and Inequality
Climate change doesn't affect all children equally - it deepens existing inequalities. 183 million children face the triple threat of poverty, climate risk, and conflict. Over 99% of children globally are currently exposed to at least one climate or environmental hazard. But children in low and lower-middle income countries bear the heaviest burden, accounting for almost 74% of students affected by climate-related school disruptions in 2024.
The WHO notes that 88% of the global health burden associated with climate change is borne by children under five - children who had nothing to do with creating the problem but will live with its consequences their entire lives. Climate impacts push vulnerable families further into poverty through crop failures, lost livelihoods, destroyed homes and increased healthcare costs, creating cycles of disadvantage that can span generations.
How Save the Children Helps Communities Adapt to Climate Impacts
We're working alongside children and communities worldwide to build resilience against climate change. In 2024, we supported the construction of over 1,150 climate-resilient classrooms in nearly 230 schools in Mozambique, a country repeatedly hit by devastating cyclones. These classrooms protect children during extreme weather and ensure learning can continue even when disaster strikes.
We're helping families adapt through programmes that combine immediate support with long-term solutions. In places affected by drought, we're introducing solar-powered water systems, providing training in climate-resilient agriculture and offering cash support to help families meet urgent needs while building sustainable livelihoods. In flood-prone regions, we're working with communities on early warning systems and disaster preparedness so families can protect themselves and their children when extreme weather hits.
Our approach recognises that children aren't just vulnerable - they're also powerful agents of change. We support child-led climate action, amplify young people's voices in decision-making spaces and ensure children's rights are central to climate policies at local, national and international levels. Together with partners, supporters and communities, we're fighting for a future where every child can survive, learn and be protected - no matter what climate challenges they face.
