How does climate change impact children and families today and what might the future look like?
I like what the writer Alex Steffen said: “The planetary crisis is not an issue, but a change in era.” Climate change is not just one issue among many. It is shaping the future itself. All our human systems need to be rethought and rebuilt for the age to come.

Children, in particular, will feel huge, lasting impacts—on their health, their development, and their ability to flourish. Of course, they’re already feeling those effects. Last year, UNICEF published the Children’s Climate Risk Index. It showed that 820 million children are highly exposed to heatwaves, 920 million children are highly exposed to water scarcity, and 1 billion children are exposed to exceedingly high levels of air pollution. Many of these children live in places where these climate risks overlap with one another and with other risks like poverty, war, or violence. Climate change is very much a “risk multiplier” for young children.

The impacts of just one of those risks—extreme heat—are really scary. Young children, with their unique vulnerabilities and developing bodies, are especially susceptible to health risks from extreme heat, as the American Academy of Pediatrics and others remind us. Dehydration is the most common negative health effect in young kids, but extreme heat can also lead to heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and cramps. These effects will likely also drive more children to play outside less, which may raise obesity rates and harm mental health.

What are the risks posed to children’s and families’ mental health?
The impacts of climate change, from extreme weather to displacement and migration, are likely to cause toxic stress, or stress that is prolonged or persistent. Toxic stress can lead to physical and behavioral effects.

Read the full article about impact of climate change on families by Joe Waters at The Aspen Institute.