The Data for Children Collaborative with UNICEF, a team that is part of the Edinburgh Futures Institute, made high-profile global impact with their key contribution to the UNICEF report: ‘“The coldest year of the rest of their lives: Protecting children from the escalating impacts of heatwaves”.
Published on 25 October, the report urges immediate action to protect children from heatwaves, pointing out that by 2050, virtually every child on earth will face more frequent heatwaves, even if the world manages to achieve ‘low greenhouse gas emissions.’
Like UNICEF’s 2021 report on the Children’s Climate Risk Index that provides a comprehensive account of children’s vulnerability to climate change, this latest report on heatwaves showcases how the collaborative teams that Data for Children Collaborative brings together use data – such as satellite imagery and climate model stimulations – to collect and analyse information that can impact the future of the planet.
With COP27 drawing near, UNICEF’s latest report underscores the need for urgent action to protect children from bearing the brunt of the climate crisis.
A multidisciplinary research initiative
The report is a strong example of how Data for Children Collaborative and the Edinburgh Futures Institute recognise the need for using multidisciplinary approaches to address global issues such as the climate crisis.
The global scale of the report that involves forecasting heatwaves required a multidisciplinary collaborative effort led by climate scientists, demographers, statisticians, geospatial experts and social scientists from The University of Edinburgh Geosciences, University of Southampton and University of Stirling.
Alex Hutchison, Director of the Data for Children Collaborative with UNICEF says:
“We are thrilled to see that the outcome of drawing together a diverse group of multi-disciplinary expertise to work with our partners UNICEF, has resulted in such wide reaching and high-profile global advocacy impact. It is so important that robust science and data is able to tell the story on behalf of the most vulnerable, so that governments and decision makers listen. This is a great example of why we all get out of bed in the morning to do our jobs.”
Fraser Macdonald, Head of Delivery Innovation at the Data for Children Collaborative with UNICEF says:
“Seeing this UNICEF report on heatwaves making an impact in the real-world is testament to the strength of collaboration. Every member of the team that we built to support this work deserves credit, and I’m delighted that we were the ones to bring them together and deliver such a far-reaching result.”
Further info and links
Data for Children Collaborative with UNICEF website
In press:
The Guardian, Virtually all children on Earth will face more frequent heatwaves by 2050
The Washington Post, ‘Virtually every child’ to face frequent heat waves by 2050, UNICEF says.
MSN, UNICEF report: Almost every child on earth will suffer from heatwaves by 2050
Common Dreams, 2 Billion Kids to Face Extreme Heatwave Threat by 2050, Warns UNICEF
CNN Portugal, 560 milhões de crianças estão atualmente expostas a ondas de calor, afirma a Unicef
More about Children’s Climate Risk Index
The Children’s Climate Risk Index – Report and Atlas
More about the CCRI project at the Data for Children Collaborative
