Study: Climate change exposes 560 million children to extra heat stress
A new study in Science Advances finds that climate change is giving 560 million children under age 10 at least one additional month of heat stress every year. Researchers warn infants are especially vulnerable to overheating.
A new study published in the journal Science Advances finds that climate change is subjecting 560 million children under the age of 10 to at least one extra month of dangerous heat stress every year, amounting to 43 percent of that age group worldwide.
Lead author Rosa Pietroiusti, a PhD researcher at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, said the team used an international standard for moderate heat stress — a Wet Bulb Globe Temperature threshold of 28 degrees Celsius (82.4°F), which accounts for heat, humidity, wind speed and cloud cover. Using climate attribution science, researchers calculated how many days per year cross that threshold and how many of those days are directly attributable to human-caused climate change.
The findings show children face disproportionately higher exposure to dangerous heat than other age groups — nearly triple the rate seen in people aged 60 to 69. The steepest increases occur in Global South countries, which have contributed the least to fossil fuel pollution but have younger populations and less access to air conditioning and heat-resilient infrastructure. If countries fail to meet the goals of the Paris climate agreement and warming reaches 2 degrees Celsius, the number of affected children could rise to 650 million.
According to the World Health Organization, heat is a leading cause of weather-related deaths globally, capable of causing dehydration, heat stroke and organ failure. Babies and young children are especially vulnerable because their higher surface-area-to-body-mass ratio makes them overheat faster, while their sweat glands are still developing, limiting their ability to regulate body temperature. As a result, infants depend entirely on caregivers to keep them hydrated and shielded from extreme heat.
Researchers stress that heat-related illness is preventable when children have access to a cool space, and that shifting toward renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power could help curb further warming of future summers.
