Did you know that sea levels along Africa’s coasts are rising by around 3.5 millimetres per year? That is faster than the global average, and the rate is accelerating.
In an article in Global Bar Magazine, oceanographer Franck Ghomsi from the University of Cape Town explains that this change is being driven by a combination of melting ice sheets, shifting weather patterns and thermal expansion. The latter accounts for more than 70 per cent of the recent sharp rise in sea levels. Put simply, the oceans absorb most of the excess heat caused by the greenhouse effect — and warm water takes up more space than cold water.
For Africa’s 38 coastal nations, and the more than 200 million people living there, the consequences are already being felt. Rising sea levels are causing saltwater intrusion, contaminating drinking water and agricultural land.
How children’s rights are affected
Sea level rise is a clear example of how climate change and children’s rights are connected. Every millimetre of rising sea level affects children’s health, safety and future livelihoods.
It can also disrupt access to clean water, food, education and safe shelter — all of which are essential to children’s wellbeing and development.
What needs to be done?
At a societal level, Ghomsi highlights the need for action on several fronts:
- Drastic reductions in global carbon emissions to slow ocean warming
- Better systems to monitor the oceans and provide early warning
- Practical solutions such as restoring mangrove forests, building protective dikes and improving urban drainage
At Barnfonden, we believe a fourth point must be added: protection for children’s unique needs and rights.
Grow the Future: From Crisis to Hope
Through the climate initiative Grow the Future, which we run together with ChildFund Alliance partner organizations Educo and WeWorld, we are working to ensure that children have:
- Education on climate and environmental issues, helping them understand the science behind challenges such as sea level rise;
- Opportunities to make their voices heard and influence local communities and decision-makers at local, national and global levels;
- Greater resilience, so they can manage climate risks in daily life and protect themselves and their communities; and
- Access to innovative solutions and skills, including green jobs and new technologies.
This is how we move from crisis to hope — and towards a future in which children are not passive victims of climate change, but the leaders of tomorrow. Without a child-rights perspective, the equation is never complete.