International Day of the African Child 2023

International Day of the African Child 2023: A Call to Action for Climate Change

Today, June 16th, marks the International Day of the African Child. Amidst the climate crisis, this day should serve as a call to action for accelerating commitments towards addressing the specific challenges facing African children due to climate change on one hand and the inability to effectively engage in climate change policy discussions and decision-making processes at local, national, and international levels. The current web page context is empty.

The 2023 IPCC AR6 Report elucidates the impacts to the most vulnerable regions to climate change and calls for transformational change in all sectors of society to achieve climate-resilient development in Africa which is most impacted by climate change. According to the report, Africa is projected to experience more frequent and intense heat waves, droughts, floods, storms, and wildfires under all emission scenarios. Further, these impacts will reverberate and continue to be felt into the future clearly impacting one key constituent who will bear the brunt and live the experiences elicited by the climate crisis -the African children. These children are especially vulnerable because they are at greatest risk of injury, disability and death since they are less equipped psychologically and physically to cope with such life-threatening situations. The theme “Rights of the Child in the digital environment” is particularly relevant and critical in involving children as agents of change to tackle the climate crisis in Africa. Digital technology can be viewed as a human rights issue, just like climate justice.

While safeguarding children’s privacy, and ensuring online safety, are crucial considerations, the utilization of digital technology for children’s empowerment and well-being, can facilitate awareness raising and promote environmental literacy, enhance their understanding of the climate crisis and educate them to contribute to sustainable development in their communities with informed actions. The use of digital tools such as mobile applications to identify climate vulnerabilities in their communities can gather critical data on weather patterns, biodiversity or environmental changes and ensure that children understand that their wellbeing is related to mother earth.

Devastating natural disasters such as intense droughts and floods experienced on the African continent has led to environmental degradation, resource scarcity, and conflicts over natural resources. In such contexts, the children have been exposed to heightened levels of violence, including sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and other forms of insecurity, as competition for resources intensifies. The children and their families who have been displaced and forced to migrate from their homes and communities, becoming especially vulnerable to exploitation, and trafficking, during the migration process or in the refugee camp settings. Digital technology is valuable in mapping hotspots and planning of climate interventions including climate security concerns that interplay with safeguarding rights of children especially young girls.

Digital technology bridges geographical barriers and facilitates knowledge sharing and collaboration. Social media, can amplify the voices of African children, enabling them to share their lived experiences, concerns, and ideas regarding climate change and impacts. Digital platforms can provide for platforms to engage in dialogue with different stakeholders including policy makers, allowing them to raise awareness and advocate for their rights in climate action at local, national, and global levels. However, inherent inequalities exist on the continent in terms of access to these tools and technologies that support learning.

Building the capacity of children towards environmental and climate change stewardship and leadership is critical in addressing the gaps in implementation of resilience building and mitigation efforts. Learning programs leveraging on technology and digital tools and addressing intergenerational equity forms the backbone of sustainability approaches for wider impact in communities at the frontline of the climate crisis.

Digital technology is therefore a powerful tool for advancing climate justice by providing access to information, enhancing participation, enabling data-driven decision-making, that supports climate adaptation, and promotes equitable access to green technologies and opportunities. With the right polices in place, digital technology can enhance and safeguard the right of children to a healthy, clean and secure environment through their active engagement and innovative ideas and build their resilience to impacts of climate change.

While the UNFCCC’s technology transfer framework obligates the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities, for Africa where technology deficits and vulnerability to climate impacts are intense, this means that developed countries have a responsibility to support the continent in overcoming barriers to technology transfer. It calls for financial support, capacity building and the facilitation of technology access to enable Africa build resilience and effectively adapt to climate change while considering the existential unique circumstances and needs. Increasingly, the global conversations have begun to recognise the role that children play as agents of change. However, discussions on how technology transfer is affecting children’s rights have not been addressed. The global climate change policy dialogues and negotiations must purposely take into account a rights-based approach and include the child rights agenda, a constituent who will continue to face the irreversible impacts of the climate crisis well into the future. According to the How Many Children and Youth Have Internet Access at Home report by UNICEF and the ITU, many African children do not have access to the internet.  Internet access is vital for ensuring that all children and young people are able to acquire the right knowledge and build appropriate skills that they require to support a sustainable environment.

This basic human right can be upheld through collective action and shared responsibility. Digital tools can be utilized to enhance intergenerational equity and innovation towards nature-based solutions. Intergenerational support is therefore critical in the adoption of digital tools that ensure low carbon and climate resilient development and which address the universal right of children to a clean, safe and healthy environment, climate policy interventions at national and regional levels. These new technologies must be children sensitive and ensure that communities and children are equipped with appropriate systems based on their priorities. Focus must be on at scale investment in technologies that are sustainable, risk informed and inclusive and increase resilience and ability for future generations to respond and cope to the climate crisis.

Belinda Okungu- Gender Focal Lead Pan African Climate Justice Alliance