Climate change is increasing both the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, with severe repercussions, particularly in low -and middle income - countries (LMICs). However, despite the urgency of these issues, population-based evidence on the impact of climate change and environmental shocks in LMICs is severely limited, with no evidence on impacts over the life course and across generations.
The new Young Lives Hub on Climate Change and Environmental Shocks will establish a ground-breaking new area of research to address this evidence gap. Young Lives is the largest and most comprehensive longitudinal study of poverty and inequality ever conducted in the Global South, tracking the same individuals over two decades across two age cohorts in four countries with varying economic development and patterns of climate change. We are therefore, uniquely positioned to examine the long-term impacts of climate change and environmental shocks (including increased air pollution, and abnormal rainfall and temperature) on human development in LMICs.
Young Lives research has already revealed in stark terms how childhood exposure to rainfall shocks has an unequal impact on children’s development, affecting their nutrition, learning progress and access to education, with the poorest children most affected. Our evidence also suggests that the impact of climate shocks extends to the next generation and when this coincides with other shocks (including the pandemic, political violence or conflict) the consequences on a household’s welfare, on human development, and on mental health, can be very serious.
The Hub has the potential to:
- Generate ground-breaking and policy relevant evidence on the long-term effects of climate change and environmental shocks on human development across the life-course. The research promoted by the Hub will exploit the 20 years of Young Lives data to investigate the impact of exposure to weather shocks and air pollution during childhood and adolescence on physical health and on cognition and emotional functioning across the life course and across two generations of children and young adults;
- Capitalise on brand new data collected in our most recent survey round (completed in May 2024) and pioneer cutting-edge research and survey methodologies including piloting the use of biomarkers to measure exposure to air pollution. We will also enhance our own unique longitudinal open access dataset by matching it with external micro-level climate and environmental data using geospatial information and the complete;
- Enhance our understanding of the extent to which these shocks have exacerbated pre-existing inequalities and quantified long-term impacts on adult outcomes.
The Hub research has the potential to re-frame global debates to better address the long-term and intergenerational intersecting impacts of climate change, environmental shocks and pollution in LMICs, with important policy implications for improving young people’s lives, and meeting the 2030 SDGs. We are looking to partner with like minded individuals,corporations or foundations to help deliver our ambitious new Hub. Contact Young Lives Director, Marta Favara for more details.
We will bring you more news about the Hub over coming months as it gets up and running!