Climate Change Editor
seigonie.mohammed
@guardian.co.tt
Castries, Saint Lucia – Children across parts of the Eastern Caribbean may soon have nowhere to escape the effects of overlapping climate threats, according to new research warning that more than nine in 10 of them could be exposed to at least three major climate hazards by mid-century.
The UNICEF-commissioned study examined approximately 176,000 children in Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Presenting the findings in St Lucia on Wednesday, Meru Labs climate and data analyst Irina Bird Reddiar said more than one-third of children already live in areas exposed to at least three climate hazards.
“By mid-century, under the high-emission scenario, this could rise to more than nine in 10,” Reddiar said.
“That means there is no safe zone in the region. The question is not whether children will be affected, but how severely and how often.”
The warning extends beyond hurricanes. Under a high-emissions scenario, the study projects the Eastern Caribbean could be about 1.4 degrees Celsius warmer by mid-century, resulting in more than 80 additional days each year with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius.
The research also forecasts moderate to severe drought conditions lasting an average of three to four months annually, while a major hurricane could pass through regional waters roughly every six years.
Researchers warned that the impacts could follow children throughout their lives, contributing to learning loss, illness, malnutrition, psychological distress, reduced educational attainment, and lower lifetime earnings.
“GDP-based accounting cannot see the cost that accumulates silently in children’s bodies, their minds, and their futures,” Reddiar said.
The study also highlights a major policy gap. While national climate plans across the six countries identify sectors critical to children, including health, education, water, and agriculture, Reddiar noted that none currently includes child-specific indicators, measurable outcome targets, or adaptation commitments linked directly to children’s well-being.
“Without this, it is impossible to track whether climate investments are reaching children or to demonstrate their returns to climate finance providers,” she said.
UNICEF Eastern Caribbean representative Maryam Abdu said governments must now turn the findings into concrete action.
“Reports should not be on the shelf. They should influence what we’re going to do as a government, as a people, and together with development partners,” Abdu said.
St Lucia has already begun applying the research findings.
NDC in-country facilitator Onika Benn announced that officials are finalising a project to provide at least five days’ water storage capacity for 20 schools in the country’s most water-stressed communities. Support has already been pledged for water tanks and solar-powered pumping systems.
The country is also developing a climate investment proposal focused on water security, technical and vocational education, and psychosocial support for children, teachers, and counsellors.
St Lucia’s Minister of Sustainable Development, Lisa Jawahir, said the true measure of success would be whether the research leads to tangible improvements in people’s lives.
“We must move from evidence to policy, from policy to investment, and from investment to measurable improvements in the lives of our people,” she said.
