1.4M Filipino kids face extreme heat for life — study

These are according to the findings of “Born into the Climate Crisis 2,” an expanded study by Save the Children and Vrije Universiteit Brussel released in time for the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement.

Save the Children Philippines environmental health advisor Rexel Abrigo said children will grow up facing even hotter temperatures, with greater risks of dehydration, heatstroke, and other health problems.

“Five-year-olds are already staying indoors because it’s too hot to play outside—sweating, dizzy, and restless, as even summer break offers no relief from the dangerous heat. And it’s just the beginning,” Abrigo said.

“That’s why the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 degrees Celsius goal is more than a target, it’s a lifeline for children,” he added.

The study reported that among the most affected are children in low-income countries like the Philippines, where homes and schools are often not built to withstand extreme heat and lack cooling systems, electricity, or running water.

To avoid this grim future, experts advise ambitious and urgent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2100 would mean the number of Filipino children born in 2020 facing extreme heat exposure could drop to 55.2 percent (843,834 individuals).

For its part, Save the Children Philippines is working with children, communities, and government agencies to expand child-focused climate adaptation programs in critical sectors. Among its partners are the Department of Education, Department of Health, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Climate Change Commission, and climate-focused organizations like the Oscar M. Lopez Center and the World Wide Fund for Nature.

Its key programs include the “Child-Centered Community-Based Adaptation,” which equips community members with critical knowledge and skills to build resilience against climate change, as well as the “Building Resilient Futures” project, which is providing adolescents aged 10 to 17 with essential green skills and supporting innovation labs in schools to enable mitigation and adaptation action at the community level.

“Children did not cause the climate crisis, but they are suffering most from its impact. That’s why our programs are designed not just to protect them, but also to equip them with the knowledge and tools they need to survive, build resilience, and adapt,” Abrigo said.