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Did you know environmental issues are central to our survival? The quality of the environment in which a baby is raised is an important factor in whether a child survives until its first birthday and impacts a child's physical and mental development as they grow up. Here are some statistics that illustrate this fact:
"In the poorest regions of the world, one in five children die before their fifth birthday, largely due to environmental-related, and thus preventable, diseases."
"Every hour, 250 people, most of them children under five, die from diarrhoea, usually caused by lack of clean water."
Pretty shocking, isn't it? And it's not just a problem in developing or poor countries. A national report to the United Nations by the Canadian government found that:
"There is growing evidence that many children's health problems are caused or exacerbated by environmental pollution, and that children's exposure to environmental hazards are different and often greater than those of adults. . Environmental hazards have been linked to most of the leading causes of deaths, illnesses and hospitalizations for Canadian children (age 0-19 years), including low birth weight and birth defects, unintentional injuries, cancer, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), respiratory infections, and asthma. Over the past 20 years, there has been a four-fold increase in the childhood prevalence of asthma, with 12% of Canadian children (aged 0-10) now experiencing asthma, and 29,000 children being hospitalized each year. Children's exposure to polluted water, pesticides, organic pollutants, and other chemicals may have serious developmental effects to their endocrine and immune systems.
Children's rights are therefore intricately linked with the environment. In the Convention, Article 6 gives children the right to live and fully develop, while Article 24 sets out their right to an environment that keeps them healthy. Article 29 requires that through their education children should develop respect for the natural environment. The reflection and discussion questions at the end of this section are designed to help explore the other environmental issues discussed in Kids Who Care from a child rights perspective.
Children's participation and the environment
" ...my friends and I travel to the riverbank to collect all the rubbish that has been dumped there. We also try to speak with the local people and encourage them not to throw their rubbish into our river. Our message to them is a "Clean environment keeps us healthy". Although I am only 10 years old, I really want to help protect our environment to make it GREEN - CLEAN - BEAUTIFUL, and I will try my best to make my dream come true."
Hong, 10,
winner of a children's writing competition organized by Plan Vietnam
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Questions for Reflection or Discussion
* How does the environment impact on children's health?
* How does the environment impact on children's ability to learn and grow?
* How are children affected by natural disasters (e.g. hurricanes, floods, droughts) that may be brought on by changes humans are making to the environment? Are they affected differently then adults?
* Are some children more likely to suffer from environmental illnesses and natural disasters than other children, for example children who are poor, or who are living in countries in the South?
* Do some children contribute more to environment destruction than other children?
* Are decisions made by businesses and industries that may be damaging the environment made in the best interest of children?
* Are children given opportunities to take action on environmental issues? Are they respected and listened to when they do?
* Governments are accountable to ensure human rights are respected, protected and fulfilled for all citizens - are they living up to their obligation? |
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