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Data for Children Collaborative research team key to Unicef’s high-profile report on impact of heatwaves

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Data for Children Collaborative’s report with UNICEF on impact of heatwaves generates global attention.

(Photo credit: © UNICEF/UN0290924/Llaurado)

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

Data for Children Collaborative Research Team Collaborates with UNICEF to Publish Report Urging for Immediate Climate Action to Protect Children from Heatwaves

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.

Channel 4 News, Sunak must stop fossil fuel projects in UK says climate activist Vanessa Nakate (video)

MSN, UNICEF report: Almost every child on earth will suffer from heatwaves by 2050

WION News, UNICEF: More than two billion children will witness frequent and prolonged heat waves 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

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