By Kundai Marunya

CHILDREN have, for a long time, been referred to as the future of humanity, the leaders of the next generation and the custodians of the earth.

Theirs is a future determined not solely by their actions, but largely by those of their predecessors.

For ages, generations have been inheriting a world made better — or worse — by their forebearers.

The plunder of natural resources in colonial times and post-colonial Africa has largely contributed to today’s changing climate, so have emissions from industry and other economic activities.

From environmentally unfriendly practices in agriculture, including the extensive use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides to cutting down trees for tobacco curing, urban residents are equally guilty.

Wetlands have long been plundered, with some turned into housing settlements in complete disregard of laws mitigating climate change; resulting in disasters such as the recent flooding of houses in Harare’s Budiriro high-density, Kuwadzana and elsewhere.

In March 2019, Cyclone Idai culminated in property worth millions being lost in the wake of devastating floods while millions more have been poured into reconstruction which is still on-going four years on.

This year’s El Nino-induced drought is another wake-up call to action on climate change.

Speaking during the launch of a climate change campaign themed ‘Invest in Climate, Invest in Children’ recently, UNICEF Zimbabwe chief of communications Yves Willemot equated the climate change crisis to a child rights crisis.

“Climate change is impacting the lives of children worldwide, also in Zimbabwe,” observed Willemot, adding:

“It creates scarcity in access to safe water and food, impacts on the health of children, increases children’s vulnerability to exploitation and abuse, and jeopardises their well-being, even threatening their survival.

“Everywhere children are increasingly exposed to climate or environmental hazards, such as flooding, drought, heatwaves, cyclones and air pollution,” he noted. 

“As these extreme weather events increase in frequency and ferocity, they threaten children’s lives, jeopardise children’s access to healthy food they need for their development and destroy infrastructure critical to their well-being, such as schools, healthcare facilities and children’s playgrounds.

“For the most vulnerable children, climate impacts worsen their situation, placing additional risk to their rights and further reducing their access to basic services.”  

While Africa may not have contributed as much as the developed nations to the current climate crisis, it is one of the worst affected continents.

According to Willemot, Zimbabwe was ranked high risk in the 2021 UNICEF Children’s Climate Risk Index.

However, Government has been working flat out with relevant Ministries to mitigate the impact of climate change on vulnerable communities, children included, in both the rural and urban areas.

For example, through the Ministry of Agriculture, the Government introduced innovative moisture conservation measures, such as the highly successful Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme, whose thrust is being emulated around the continent.

“While children are the least responsible for climate change, they suffer the brunt of climate change,” lamented Willemot.

“Still, children are largely missing from the climate dialogue. 

“UNICEF today launches a communication campaign to raise awareness on the impact of climate change on children; put children at the centre of the climate change debate; and to make the climate budget child-focused.

“Today, only 2,4 percent of Multilateral Climate Funds, globally, is set aside for children and young people. 

“There is a need for more funds (to be) allocated directly to interventions that benefit children.”

UNICEF’s website www.unicef.org/zimbabwe has been dedicated to the campaign on tackling climate change, with in-depth studies, research and stories. 

The campaign is centred on children by providing them with a platform to share their views and appeal for more child-centred climate funding and will run a petition campaign for everyone to join.

To deal with the challenges of climate change, energy and environment, UNICEF calls for urgent action to put children at the centre of climate change policies, strategies, plans and budgets as well as making them child sensitive.

The campaign also centres on empowering children and young people to be environmental stewards and climate change agents, allowing them to realise their potential with full participation.

It enables children’s participation in the climate agenda, critical to ensure the future is fit for today’s children and today’s children are fit for the future while providing climate resilience services in health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, education and protection, so children can survive, develop and thrive.

Engaging and familiarising children and young people with climate change action will go a long way in ensuring an environmentally conscious and active generation.

Having leaders already actively involved in mitigating climate change leaves the world in better hands, the website notes.

Adults have long made poor decisions when it comes to the environment, and we have a generation of leaders who are willing to correct those wrongs — which is commendable.