Enhancing biodiversity can help to mitigate climate change impacts on children’s healthBiodiversity loss can amplify the impacts of climate change, with devastating impacts for human health and disproportionate effects on children. Children are particularly vulnerable because of their unique biological, developmental, and behavioral characteristics, as well as the longer period of exposure they may face to an increasingly altered environment. These risks are further heightened among children living in socioeconomically disadvantaged conditions. This literature review examined the effects of biodiversity loss on pediatric health outcomes, with particular attention to how biodiversity loss may intensify the health consequences of climate change. The authors synthesize qualitative and quantitative evidence to explore the diverse ways in which biodiversity influences children’s health and well-being.
The review findings highlight how biodiversity loss and climate change harm children’s health by disrupting microbial diversity, reducing greenspace, intensifying heat waves and flooding, expanding vector-borne disease risks, and worsening air pollution. Reduced microbial diversity can weaken immune function and contribute to allergies, respiratory infections, and inflammatory disorders. In contrast, contact with natural environments can enrich the human microbiome, support immune balance, and help protect against allergic and inflammatory disease. Greenspace exposure is associated with numerous benefits for children, while its loss can negatively impact health and development. Systematic reviews report strong evidence that contact with nature supports children’s cognitive, behavioral, and mental health. Some studies also suggest that highly biodiverse natural areas may aid recovery from surgery or illness. In addition, greenspace promotes healthy behaviors, including greater physical activity. Rising temperatures, heat waves, and flooding are expected to pose growing risks to children’s health. Evidence shows that extreme heat can harm children even before birth, increasing the risk of preterm birth, low birthweight, and stillbirth, particularly among socioeconomically disadvantaged women. Heat waves also raise the likelihood of heat stroke, dehydration, and reduced learning. Severe storms and flooding are projected to intensify child health risks by increasing drowning, displacement, trauma, and mental health challenges. Climate-sensitive planning that adds vegetation and restores shoreline and river ecosystems can help reduce these impacts. Climate change has expanded the range of many vector-borne diseases, and children may be especially vulnerable because their immune systems are still developing. Air pollution adds further risk, particularly when combined with climate-related stressors and exposure in vulnerable communities. Air pollution is linked to childhood asthma, and children face heightened exposure because they take in proportionally more pollutants and toxins from food, air, and water. Prenatal exposure to wildfire smoke also increases the risk of low birthweight and preterm birth. Biodiversity loss may further affect pediatric medicine, since healthy ecosystems support the discovery and development of pharmaceuticals. Declining access to plant-based medicines could limit future treatment options for children.
Importantly, research highlights the potential of ecosystem restoration as a strategy to mitigate the effects of biodiversity loss and restore ecosystem services that benefit children. Restoring biodiversity will be critical for protecting children’s health and well-being in the 21st century. The United Nations emphasizes that global efforts to restore ecosystems could make significant contributions to climate change mitigation, reduce the risk of future pandemics, and improve food security for more than one billion people. It is also imperative that ecosystem restoration projects and climate policies and interventions meaningfully engage children in decision-making processes.
The review’s findings highlight the importance of biodiversity in protecting children’s physical and mental health. Although biodiversity does not prevent climate change, enhancing biodiversity in urban ecosystems can mitigate local climate change impacts. The authors conclude that “the loss of biodiversity is increasingly becoming a child rights crisis, threatening the health and safety of children around the globe.” This crisis will disproportionately affect children who are disabled, refugees or immigrants, and children experiencing housing instability or separation from their families. The review also calls attention to gaps in our understanding of how global biodiversity loss affects children’s health, particularly among underserved populations. In addition, there is a lack of longitudinal research examining the long-term health effects of biodiversity interventions. Despite the limited availability of such research, existing evidence supports the need to increase biodiversity in urban environments to promote the health and well-being of children, especially among vulnerable pediatric populations. Interventions should aim to reduce the impact of climate change on children’s health while also addressing biodiversity loss to improve children’s health outcomes globally.
The Bottom Line