Children (under 18) in India are amongst the most exposed and vulnerable to hazards imposed due to extreme heat and drought as per the Children’s Climate Risk Report 2026 by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). The data presented shows that around 55% of children in India are exposed to at least three of 8 climate hazards considered — riverine floods, coastal floods, agricultural and meteorological drought, tropical storms, heatwaves, extreme heat, sand and dust storms.

Of the roughly 2.4 billion children in the world, around 2 billion (or 83.3%) are exposed to at least two (of the eight) hazards, while 1.1 billion or 46% of the world’s children are exposed to at least three hazards.. Using data from the UNICEF report also stresses on the exposure to climate-sensitive factors such as vector-borne diseases (malaria) and air pollution.

Among the data provided, India ranks fifth in the world when it comes to the multi-hazard exposure score calculated by UNICEF — which basically assesses the children’s exposure to the aforementioned multiple climate hazards. Children in Myanmar, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Bangladesh are estimated to be more exposed, and thus, vulnerable to multiple hazards.

The table below shows a list of 20 countries with high multi-hazard exposure scores (ranged 0 to 10; with a score of 10 indicating high exposure to hazards).

When it comes to extreme heat, India tops the list with a score of 10 (highest), which means that children in India have the highest exposure to extreme heat, as the table shows.

Children in India are also highly exposed to drought (agricultural and meteorological), with a score of 8.84. Children of Nigeria, Bangladesh, and Cameroon are estimated to have a higher relative exposure to drought, as shown in the table below.

The map below shows the exposure scores of each hazard.

Children are uniquely threatened to climate-related hazards, the report states, while also stressing on the exposure of children to climate-sensitive factors such as air pollution and vector-borne diseases, specifically malaria.

“Human-induced climate change and air pollution are linked in different ways. Many activities that produce greenhouse gases also emit air pollutants, which have devastating and wide-reaching impacts on children,” the report states.

Two-thirds of children in India are exposed to malaria, whereas almost 99% of children are exposed to air pollution, as shown in the graphic below.

Child vulnerability

To tackle climate risks faced by children, the report suggests that ‘examining the status of child-critical social systems and services’ is a good indicator for a region or nation’s capacity to do so. The map below shows the child vulnerability scores and the scores across different metrics, like health, nutrition, water & sanitation, and more.

India’s child vulnerability score (also scored from 0 to 10) is relatively low at 3.44, which indicates a stronger capacity of the nation to face climate risks that seem to be increasing in frequency. However, India’s score is still higher than the median score of 2.5. Children in countries in Africa - like Niger, Chad, South Sudan, and more - are estimated to be much more vulnerable, and additionally, vulnerability scores for children in the U.S.A. are 5.31.

When it comes to plotting a child’s vulnerability score with the multi-hazard exposure score, India’s position appears in the ‘quadrant of crisis’ with both values estimated to be higher than the median of all countries (that are plotted).