Rising Heat Puts 145 Million Indian Children’s Health And Development At Risk
Rising heat exposure poses growing health risks for Indian children.
Around 145 million Indian children aged 0-9, representing 61% of children in this age group, are exposed to at least one additional month of dangerous heat each year due to climate change, according to new research. The findings warn that prolonged exposure to extreme heat could have serious consequences for children’s health, well-being and development.
The research by Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), published in Science Advances, found that climate change has already doubled the number of Indian children aged 0-9 experiencing at least five total months of dangerous heat stress annually. The number has increased from 59 million to 118 million, meaning about half of children in the age group now face this level of heat exposure each year.
The study also found that heat risks are particularly high among younger children compared with other age groups. Globally, up to 560 million children, or 43% of all children aged 0-9, are currently exposed to at least one additional month of dangerous heat annually. This compares with around 190 million people aged 60-69, or 30% of that age group, highlighting the disproportionate exposure faced by children.
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Under a scenario of 1.5°C global warming, researchers project that 166 million Indian children, or 74% of those aged 0-9, could experience at least one additional month of heat stress every year. Around 123 million children, equivalent to 55%, could face at least five total months, or 150 days, of heat stress annually. With global warming reaching 2°C, the exposure could rise further, with 169 million children, or 96% of the age group, facing at least one additional month of heat stress and 120 million experiencing five months.
The researchers said the global situation is also expected to worsen as temperatures rise. At 1.5°C and 2°C of warming, the number of children aged 0-9 exposed to at least one additional month of dangerous heat is projected to reach 620 million and 650 million respectively. These thresholds are considered increasingly likely under current climate policies, making heat exposure an immediate and growing concern for younger populations.
The study combined population data, advanced climate models and attribution science to assess how human-induced climate change is affecting heat exposure among children. The findings underline that climate-related health risks are already affecting children disproportionately and vary across generations and regions, with further warming expected to increase the frequency and duration of dangerous heat conditions.
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