Child labor

The number of child labour in climate change affected countries like Bangladesh may rise in near future as the change may make it more difficult for children to attend school whose families struggle to survive, warned Save the Children, UK.

In a new report titled 'Feeling the Heat: Child Survival in a Changing Climate' the charity said, "There have already been reports of an increase in trafficking and child brides in areas where families are separated or forced into destitution by extreme weather patterns."

The report on effects of climate change on children was compiled prior the UN climate summit in Copenhagen.

Emergency coordinator for Save the Children in Bangladesh, Alora Serdous will attend the climate change summit in Copenhagen this month to warn world leaders about the global health threat to children from climate change.

She said children are already suffering from treatable diseases and malnutrition in areas like southern Asia that has been hit by cyclones recently as well as drought-ridden parts of East Africa.

"Climate change is the biggest global health threat to children in the 21st century," she said.

"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 charity warned that the global warming could cause the death of a quarter of a million children next year globally as a result of natural disasters causing an increase in injuries, water-borne diseases and starvation.

By 2030, the figure will almost double to 400,000 unless more is done to help poor countries adapt to a changing climate.

The new report suggested that improvement of sanitation to stop the spread of diarrhoea during floods and food aid to stop famine during droughts is become very much necessary. According to the Save the Children over 900 million children in the next generation will be affected by water