(MENAFN- AzerNews)
Nazrin Abdul
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COP29 Youth Climate Champion for Azerbaijan, Leyla Hasanova,
stated that the agenda on climate change is beginning to take
shape.
Speaking at the "High-Level National Event on Climate Change and
Children," part of the "Baku Climate Action Week," Hasanova
emphasized the importance of placing children at the center of
dialogues about climate change, Azernews
reports.
"Children are our future. The strategies we create should ensure
a happy future for us and our children. I believe that investments
in human capital should increase, and the issues raised by COP29
should be integrated into schools and other institutions," she
said.
During the event, the newly appointed UNICEF representative to
Azerbaijan, Saja Faruq Abdullah, noted that 1 billion children
worldwide live in high-risk countries due to climate change.
She pointed out that the climate crisis is a matter of
children's rights: "1 billion children live in high-risk countries
due to climate change. For the past 30 years, children have not
received adequate attention, but in the last 2 years, there has
been growing awareness of the impact of climate change on
children."
A UNICEF official added that climate change affects children's
mental development: "Additionally, children may be deprived of
educational opportunities. Climate change causes 88% of diseases,
impacting children under the age of 5. All these statistics
demonstrate that the effects of climate change on children are
significant."
Maria Osbek, UNICEF's regional adviser on sustainability and
climate, highlighted that 96% of children breathe polluted air.
According to her, 160 million children in Europe and Central
Asia are classified as being at high or medium-high risk due to the
effects of climate change: "In 2021, 6,400 children died at an
early age due to air pollution, with 85% of them not reaching their
first birthday. One in ten children is at risk of facing river
floods."
A UNICEF official noted that 53% of children live in areas
vulnerable to water scarcity.
Osbek emphasized the need for awareness regarding climate change
and the importance of building skills for a green transition,
establishing a climate-resilient education system, installing
greener and safer facilities, and conducting climate events led by
young people.
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