Africa Climate Summit: Children demand a voice in climate policies and shift to more climate-resilient schools

ADDIS ABABA-Over 60 children from 16 African countries are urging their heads of state at the Africa Climate Summit this week to consider their views and experiences in shaping climate policies, with children in most of the continent found to be at high or extremely high risk of the impacts of climate change.
Supported by child rights organisatons including Save the Children, the young climate advocates are pushing for the establishment of an African Children’s Climate Council to advocate for children and provide child-focused advice on policy decisions made by governments and relevant institutions and endorse pan-Africa leadership structures.
Africa bears an increasingly heavy burden from climate change, warming at a slightly faster rate than the global average, which is causing massive humanitarian crises with detrimental impacts on agriculture, water resources, food security, education, and public health.
Some of the children are using the Summit to highlight the impact of cyclones, heatwaves and other climate shocks on services for children such as education, with heavy rain damaging schools and disrupting their learning, as well as the impact on challenges such as child marriage, child labour and poverty.
Claire, a 14-year-old girl living in Rwanda, said:“As children, we continue to face the impacts of climate change, particularly in education, where heavy rains damage infrastructure such as classrooms, disrupting our schooling. Additionally, heavy rains and extreme heat destroy household food crops, which negatively affects children’s nutrition.”
As well as recognising children as key stakeholders in climate action, the child advocates want more climate-resilient infrastructure and disaster preparedness such as fitting schools and hospitals with solar energy, heat-resistant materials and water-saving systems.
Africa bears an increasingly heavy burden from climate change, warming at a slightly faster rate than the global average, which is causing massive humanitarian crises with detrimental impacts on agriculture, water resources, food security, education, and public health.
Some of the children are using the Summit to highlight the impact of cyclones, heatwaves and other climate shocks on services for children such as education, with heavy rain damaging schools and disrupting their learning, as well as the impact on challenges such as child marriage, child labour and poverty.
Claire, a 14-year-old girl living in Rwanda, said:“As children, we continue to face the impacts of climate change, particularly in education, where heavy rains damage infrastructure such as classrooms, disrupting our schooling. Additionally, heavy rains and extreme heat destroy household food crops, which negatively affects children’s nutrition.”
As well as recognising children as key stakeholders in climate action, the child advocates want more climate-resilient infrastructure and disaster preparedness such as fitting schools and hospitals with solar energy, heat-resistant materials and water-saving systems.
They said tree planting initiatives must not plant alien vegetation but be based on a natural crop from their own countries.
Other proposals included expanding school feeding programs with nutritious, climate-resilient meals, promoting school-based gardens and farms, and integrating climate-smart agriculture into school curricula and youth training programmes.
They also called for mental health counselling and emergency response plans tailored to children and youth with the provision of mental health counselling for those who have climate anxiety and trauma.
Mounira, a 14-year-old girl from Niger, stated:“We are not too young to understand. We have received training where we analysed our vulnerability and adaptation capacities, coupled with weather information. We understand what our community is going through and what we can do about it. Give us the means to act.”
Nafisa, a 17-year-old girl from Somalia, said: “If leaders want to prevent children’s suffering, they must listen to us — but listening is not enough. We don’t just need words, we need action. Climate change is destroying our education, our environment, our world and our future.”
Climate extremes – which are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change – are increasingly harming children, forcing them from their homes, putting food out of reach, damaging schools and increasing risks like child marriage as they are forced out of education and into poverty and food shortages.
Just four months ago, a research releasedby Save the Children and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) found that almost a third of today’s five-year-olds – about 38 million children – will be spared a lifetime’s “unprecedented” exposure to extreme heat [1] if the world meets the 1.5°C warming target by 2100. However, as many as 100 million children will face “unprecedented” lifetime exposure to extreme heat under current commitments— highlighting the urgency for climate action to protect children.
Malama Mwila, Senior Child Rights Advocacy Campaigns Advisor for Save the Children’s AU Liaison & Pan Africa Office, said:
“As Africa embarks on a green and just transition, investing in its children is crucial. Yet, current global financing falls short, with less than 2% allocated to child specific interventions. To secure a sustainable future for generations to come, we must prioritize investments in children, ensuring inclusivity for all. This means reaching the most vulnerable, including children with disabilities, those displaced by climate-related disasters, and girls who face disproportionate impacts.
“Since the start of preparations for the ACSII[1], we have spoken to over 300 African children who have been very clear in their demands. We need to prioritize climate-resilient education systems that protect children’s right to learn, are inclusive, and adaptable to diverse needs. This includes integrating climate literacy, environmental stewardship, and green skills into curricula, and leveraging technology to build learning environments that are resilient to climate-related disasters and accessible to all. By doing so, we can equip Africa’s children and youth for a green transition, from Addis Ababa to Belem and beyond, ensuring no child is left behind.”
As the world’s leading independent child rights organisation, Save the Children works in about 110 countries, tackling climate across everything we do. Save the Children supports children and their communities globally in preventing, preparing for, adapting to, and recovering from climate disasters and gradual climate change. We have set up floating schools, rebuilt destroyed homes and provided cash grants to families hit by disasters.
We also work to influence governments and other key stakeholders on climate policies, including at the UNFCCC COP summits, giving children a platform for their voices to be heard.

Source : reliefweb.int