KMC, UNICEF to make climate action plan child-centric

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has partnered with UNICEF to make its Climate Action Plan (CAP) child-centric, amid findings that children’s health is among the most impacted by climate change.

KMC is one of the first urban local bodies in the country to formulate a CAP.

“Kolkata has recorded the highest urban warming among most global megacities over the last seven decades. Additionally, climate change has emerged as a crisis for our children. From rising temperatures and air pollution to shifting patterns of vector-borne diseases, the health of our youngest citizens is at the frontline. A recent study indicates that one in every two children in the city suffers from some form of respiratory disorder triggered by air pollution,” said Ranita Sengupta, Chief Municipal Health Officer (CMHO) of KMC.

She added that with Bengal being a primary contributor to the national dengue burden, Kolkata’s CAP must integrate real-time entomological surveillance with climate forecasting to move from reactive to predictive healthcare.

Dr Monjur Hossain, UNICEF Chief in Bengal, said that as children are among the most vulnerable to climate change, sectors such as education, health, sanitation and nutrition must be made climate-resilient. “We are providing a communication strategy across sectors to integrate a child-centric approach in all areas of government work, and KMC is no exception,” he said.