In a recent report that shows the impact of climate change and natural disasters on children, the leading charity “Save the Children” has warned that climate change could kill more than 400,000 children every year by 2030 because of floods and droughts. Next year only, a quarter of a million children will die as a result of natural disasters causing an increase in injuries, water-borne diseases and starvation. This report titled ‘Feeling the heat: Child survival in a changing climate’ has been published in advance of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009. The report also shows the adaptation measures that can be taken to benefit children.

Save the Children says that over 900 million children in the next generation will be affected by water shortages and 160 million more will be prone to malaria. In the next 20 years, 175 million children a year will suffer the effect of natural disasters like cyclones, droughts and floods.

Alora Serdous, an emergency co-ordinator for Save the Children in Bangladesh, said…

Climate change is the biggest global health threat to children in the 21st century. Without concerted effort, millions of children will be at increased risk from disease, under nutrition, water scarcity, disasters and the collapse of public services and infrastructure.

The figures are really shocking and to overcome the problem, a lot needs to be done to help poor countries adapt to a changing climate.

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Via: Telegraph497561