Slum children face growing climate health risks

Climate change is exposing children in Bangladesh’s cities, particularly those from low-income families and slum communities, to growing health risks from heatwaves, floods, waterlogging, unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation, a new study has found.

A 2025 field survey found that 54.5 per cent of the slum families surveyed identified children as the most affected members of their households, highlighting the disproportionate burden of climate change on the youngest.

The findings were presented at a citizen dialogue organised by the Children Watch Foundation (CWF) in Dhaka on Tuesday, bringing together government representatives, public health experts, environmental activists and students to discuss urban children’s vulnerability and ways to protect them.

The keynote paper was presented by CWF Chairman Shah Israt Azmeri, also executive director of the Environmental Innovation and Research Network (EIRN). CWF General Secretary Md Zahangir Alam chaired the session.

Azmeri said poor housing, inadequate drainage, unsafe water and limited sanitation were making children in urban slums increasingly vulnerable to climate-related illnesses. During heatwaves, tin-roofed homes can become dangerously hot, raising the risk of dehydration, while waterlogging and unhygienic surroundings increase the risks of dengue, diarrhoea and skin diseases.

An analysis of temperature trends from 1990 to 2025 found that periods with temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius had increased in Dhaka, Rajshahi and Satkhira. Dhaka experienced the greatest spread and intensity of prolonged heat, the study said.

Climate hazards are also disrupting education and development. Around 35 million children in Bangladesh had their education disrupted by climate-related events in 2024, according to the research. The combined effects of environmental hazards and economic hardship are threatening children’s health, nutrition, education and normal development. Health and Family Welfare State Minister Dr MA Muhith, MP, attended the dialogue as chief guest, while Madaripur-3 lawmaker Anisur Rahman Khokon was the special guest.

Muhith said the unity among young people during the 2024 mass uprising could be harnessed to address climate change, child health and rapid urbanisation. He stressed school-based awareness and community involvement, suggesting visiting doctors and mobile nursing services where schools could not afford permanent medical staff.

Khokon called for experts’ recommendations to inform government policymaking and proposed mobilising young volunteers for environmental campaigns. He also urged environmental education from primary school onwards. Student representative Zaira Rahman of Scholastica School called for greater youth involvement, safe drinking water and essential healthcare in schools. She also suggested expanding online classes during extreme heat.

The study recommended safe water and sanitation, improved drainage and waste management in slums, shaded spaces and drinking water during heatwaves, affordable healthcare, stronger dengue prevention, air pollution control, and emergency health services and safe shelters during disasters. It stressed coordinated action by government agencies, NGOs, experts and citizens to protect children and build more liveable cities.