Volume 19, Issue 60 (4-2025)
MLJ 2025, 19(60): 550-566 |
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Seyednasseri M M S, Aghanavasi M. The Impact of Climate Change and Environmental Crises on the Right to Survival and Development of Children. MLJ 2025; 19 (60) :550-566
URL: http://ijmedicallaw.ir/article-1-1962-en.html
URL: http://ijmedicallaw.ir/article-1-1962-en.html
1- Researcher in Medical Ethics and Law Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract:
Background and Aim: Climate change and environmental crises represent escalating and pressing global challenges with far-reaching consequences for human societies, particularly for vulnerable groups such as children. Owing to their heightened physical and mental sensitivity, greater dependence on environmental conditions and limited adaptive capacity, children are significantly more vulnerable than adults to the adverse effects of climate change. The rights to survival and development of children - as enshrined in international instruments such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights - are directly and indirectly impacted by environmental degradation and climatic shifts. This study aims to examine the impact of climate change and environmental crises on children’s rights to survival and development, analyze states’ legal obligations and evaluate relevant national and international policy frameworks. The central research question guiding this inquiry is: How can the rights to survival and development of children be legally and politically safeguarded against the threats posed by climate change?
Method: This research adopts a descriptive-analytical method, drawing upon the analysis of international legal instruments, case studies and reports from international organizations such as UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Ethical Considerations: The principles of academic ethics, particularly fidelity in citation, preservation of the article’s originality and obtaining informed consent from participants, have been observed in the preparation of this article.
Results: The findings indicate that climate change, by exacerbating food insecurity, water scarcity, the spread of infectious diseases, the frequency and intensity of natural disasters and overall environmental pollution, significantly threatens the physical and mental health of children. The legal analysis, grounded in international law, underscores that states are obligated to guarantee the rights to survival and development of children through preventive and adaptive measures in response to climate-related harms.
Conclusion: The study concludes that ensuring the rights of children to survival and development in the face of climate change requires a comprehensive approach, international cooperation, effective implementation of legal commitments, intelligent policymaking and broad public awareness. It is recommended that states develop and implement national programs grounded in climate justice, enhance child-focused health, education and nutrition infrastructures, strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities and actively involve children in climate-related decision-making processes to effectively uphold their rights in this context.
Please cite this article as:
Seyednasseri MM, Aghanavasi M. The Impact of Climate Change and Environmental Crises on the Right to Survival and Development of Children. Medical Law Journal. 2025; 19: e37.
Method: This research adopts a descriptive-analytical method, drawing upon the analysis of international legal instruments, case studies and reports from international organizations such as UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Ethical Considerations: The principles of academic ethics, particularly fidelity in citation, preservation of the article’s originality and obtaining informed consent from participants, have been observed in the preparation of this article.
Results: The findings indicate that climate change, by exacerbating food insecurity, water scarcity, the spread of infectious diseases, the frequency and intensity of natural disasters and overall environmental pollution, significantly threatens the physical and mental health of children. The legal analysis, grounded in international law, underscores that states are obligated to guarantee the rights to survival and development of children through preventive and adaptive measures in response to climate-related harms.
Conclusion: The study concludes that ensuring the rights of children to survival and development in the face of climate change requires a comprehensive approach, international cooperation, effective implementation of legal commitments, intelligent policymaking and broad public awareness. It is recommended that states develop and implement national programs grounded in climate justice, enhance child-focused health, education and nutrition infrastructures, strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities and actively involve children in climate-related decision-making processes to effectively uphold their rights in this context.
Please cite this article as:
Seyednasseri MM, Aghanavasi M. The Impact of Climate Change and Environmental Crises on the Right to Survival and Development of Children. Medical Law Journal. 2025; 19: e37.
Type of Study: Original Article |
Received: 2025/03/31 | Accepted: 2025/08/5
Received: 2025/03/31 | Accepted: 2025/08/5
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