Nutritional Safety and Juvenile Youth

Nutritional Safety and Juvenile Youth

In the small island community of Hawaii, Malia and her brother, both under five, are facing challenges that extend beyond their young years. The family, residing in a rural area, is not receiving the same level of support and resources as the island's larger city.

Climate change poses a severe threat to food security and children's health, causing erratic weather patterns, crop failures, and resource scarcity. This leads to malnutrition, disrupted growth, and psychological distress among children. The family is currently experiencing food insecurity and mental health stressors due to the disasters that have struck the island.

One of the key impacts on children is malnutrition and hunger. During lean seasons or after climate disasters, children are at risk of acute malnutrition, leading to long-term cognitive and physical impairments. The situation is particularly dire in rural communities, where climate change is projected to reduce the availability and affordability of nutritious food.

Another significant impact is disrupted education. Food scarcity forces children to drop out of school to work or due to school closures during extreme weather events. The disruptions to food systems and supply chains, expected to increase with climate change, further exacerbate this problem.

Mental health challenges are also prevalent among adolescents. Fear, despair, and helplessness arise from lost resources, uncertain futures, and diminished social supports caused by climate change. In addition, children and adolescents are at greater risk of diseases, including respiratory, vector-borne, and heat-related illnesses.

However, there is hope. Legal protections and policies aim to safeguard displaced children and provide access to education and long-term mental health care. Community support and climate-smart nutrition programs, infrastructure improvements, and humanitarian aid focused on protecting children’s health and nutritional needs during crises are available. International and local humanitarian efforts offer emergency food assistance, psychosocial support, and educational continuity during and after climate emergencies.

Despite these resources, there remains a critical need for governments and stakeholders to actively engage in adaptive, child-focused climate policies to protect children’s health and well-being comprehensively. The interconnectedness of climate impacts on food security, child health, education, and mental health demands integrated resources and sustained support for the most vulnerable families.

For families in need, resources like the USDA Food and Nutrition Service provide nutrition assistance to families and individuals affected by a disaster or emergency. To find local food resources and other social services, one can call 1-866-3-HUNGRY.

It is crucial to remember that Malia and her brother are not alone in their struggles. Other Pacific islands also heavily depend on imported food, making them vulnerable to disruptions caused by natural disasters and climate impacts. The future of these children depends on our collective efforts to combat climate change and ensure a sustainable, secure, and healthy future for all.

[1] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2018). Special Report: Global Warming of 1.5°C. [2] World Health Organization (WHO). (2018). Climate Change and Children’s Health: Act Now. [3] United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). (2019). Climate Change and Children: Act Now. [4] World Food Programme (WFP). (2019). Climate Change and Food Security: The Impact on Children. [5] Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2019). The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2019.

1. The erratic climate patterns caused by climate change threaten the land's fertility, leading to crop failures and resource scarcity, particularly in rural areas like Hawaii, which increases the risk of malnutrition among children.
2. Science reveals that climate change has a profound impact on health-and-wellness, causing psychological distress and physical diseases in children and adolescents, such as respiratory, vector-borne, and heat-related illnesses.
3. Climate change affects children's fitness-and-exercise routines by disrupting their education, forcing them to drop out of school due to food scarcity or school closures during extreme weather events.
4. Environmental-science concerns the potential reduction in the availability and affordability of nutritious food due to climate change in rural communities, further impacting children's nutrition and health.
5. International organizations, like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP), and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), urge collective action to combat climate change to secure a sustainable, healthy, and secure future for all children, including Malia and her brother in Hawaii.

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