‘No safe zone’ for Eastern Caribbean children

One in three children across Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean is living in areas vulnerable to at least three climate hazards, a landmark child-centred climate study has revealed – but that figure is projected to rise to more than nine in ten by mid-century.

“There is no safe zone in the region and the question is not whether children will be affected, but how severely and how often,” Meru Labs consultant researcher Irina Bird Reddiar said as she presented the findings in Saint Lucia on Wednesday.

The Child-Centered Climate Analysis for Building Resilience, commissioned by UNICEF, also found significant exposure among schools and health facilities as rising temperatures, worsening drought, stronger hurricanes and sea-level rise increase climate risks across the region.