Report: Many countries failed to include children in national adaptation policies

A new report has found that many countries failed to include children’s health and well-being in their national adaptation policies.

The report, co-authored by nine medical scientists, was released on Tuesday by The Lancet, a medical journal.

The report found that among the 160 countries analysed, 44 (28%) failed to include any child-related domain.

The report said 49 (31%) of the countries included at least one child-related domain, while 62 (39%) included between two and six domains.

It added that only five (3%) countries included at least seven domains.

“No country’s policy presents a comprehensive view of child health as it relates to adaptation across identified domains,” the report reads.

“More than a quarter of the countries — 44 (28%) — had policies that included no child-specific measures.

“At the other end of the spectrum, fewer countries (five [3%]; i.e., Austria, Jordan, Samoa, Sudan, and Timor-Leste) included text linking from seven to ten child-specific domains.

“Most countries (111 [69%]) mention between one and six child-specific domains.”

The report identified Sudan as the top scorer in adopting child-specific policies in its adaptation theme.

“Sudan is the top-scoring country, having adopted a wide range of child-specific adaptation themes within their national adaptation policy,” it said.

“In light of contemporary theories of childhood, recognising children as a diverse group with varying ages, genders, agencies, and social roles is essential for effective policies linking health and climate change.

“Acknowledging all caregivers and children as active agents and co-creators of their environment, involving them in policy planning, and listening to their voices is equally crucial to addressing climate change policy development for health.“