Key Takeaways
- Nearly 2 million children in Cambodia live in areas with high climate risk.
- Children in Cambodia are exposed to drought, heat, and vector-borne diseases.
- The Children’s Climate Risk Index highlights the need for climate-resilient infrastructure and policies to protect children in Cambodia.
Phnom Penh: Nearly two million children lived in areas with a high or very high climate risk, primarily in rural areas, said a report launched on Tuesday.
Titled the Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI), the report found that about one-third of children in Cambodia faced high exposure to drought conditions, and over half of children are highly exposed to heat, vector-borne diseases, and high wind speeds.
It added that nearly half of the children in the Southeast Asian country are vulnerable to riverine floods, and half of the children in the kingdom are highly exposed to levels of air pollution that exceed World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.
The report said Cambodia ranks among the top third of countries where children are at high risk from climate and environmental hazards.
Cambodian Minister of Environment Eang Sophalleth said the CCRI was crucial in providing additional roadmaps for the Ministry of Environment and other relevant ministries and institutions to prioritize actions that consider the well-being and protection of the most vulnerable children.
