Experts Call for Child-Centred Climate Action at Inaugural Session of South India Consultation
Bengaluru, February 28, 2026: The inaugural day of the South India Consultation on Climate Change and Health, organised by CRY-Child Rights and You (South India Team), set a serious and urgent tone as experts underscored the growing health risks climate change poses to children across the region.
The consultation opened with the official release of CRY’s study examining the impact of climate change on children in select South Indian states. The report presents stark findings on how rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, floods, droughts and environmental degradation are affecting children’s health, nutrition, education and psychosocial wellbeing.
Speakers noted that while climate change is a global crisis, its consequences are disproportionately borne by children-particularly those in socio-economically vulnerable communities. Disruptions to healthcare, water and sanitation systems, schooling and local livelihoods were highlighted as compounding risks that deepen existing inequalities.
The inaugural session featured eminent public health and development experts including Dr. Ritu Priya Mehrotra, Mr. Amulya Nidhi, Dr. Veena Shatrugna, Prof. Himanshu Upadhyaya, Prof. Mathew George and Prof. Adithya Pradyumna. Addressing the gathering, they emphasised that climate resilience must move beyond infrastructure to place children at the centre of adaptation strategies.
Discussions on the first day focused on the direct health impacts of climate change-such as heat-related illnesses, vector-borne diseases and injuries during extreme weather events-as well as indirect consequences including malnutrition, school dropouts, displacement and psychological stress.
Participants called for stronger inter-sectoral coordination between health, education, disaster management and child protection systems. The need for data-driven policy planning and community-level preparedness was repeatedly stressed.
The inaugural day concluded with a collective acknowledgment that climate change is no longer a future threat but a present reality demanding immediate, child-focused responses. The consultation will continue on March 1 with deliberations on the status of health and healthcare systems in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and their preparedness to address climate-linked health challenges.
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