Overview
- An NYU-led study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry links long-term exposure to average monthly highs above about 30°C with a 5–7% lower likelihood of being developmentally on track at ages 3–4.
- The analysis covered 19,607 children in Georgia, Palestine, Gambia, Madagascar, Malawi and Sierra Leone, using UNICEF’s Early Childhood Development Index that spans literacy, numeracy, socio-emotional and physical skills.
- Researchers merged UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys with ERA5-Land climate records, averaging monthly maximum temperatures over each child’s life to gauge sustained heat exposure.
- The strongest negative associations appeared among children in urban settings, in economically disadvantaged households, and in homes without reliable access to clean water and sanitation.
- The authors call for research to uncover mechanisms and for adaptation policies such as improved water access and cooling for low-income communities, as Save the Children estimates 766 million children faced extreme heatwaves in the year to June 2024 and 466 million live in areas with at least twice as many extremely hot days as in the 1960s.