RIGHTFULLY OURS

The contention

In this era of intensified climate change, which has increased both the severity and frequency of natural disasters; scientists, governments, activists, NGOs, and human rights organisations are urging a more sustainability-driven approach to mitigate its effects. While authorities and communities actively engage in discussions concerning the impact of climate change on vulnerable groups, the hazards faced by street children; the homeless and unprotected youth, remains largely overlooked. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) sets out the civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights of children. However, despite being the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history, its implementation is inadequate. Even where protective mechanisms exist or are being developed, the concerns and needs of street children are rarely ever considered. There is a pressing need to integrate climate resilience with child welfare policies to provide these defenceless children with structured aid during climate emergencies. 

Nowhere to hide

Street children are among the most threatened within the category of Children in Especially Difficult Circumstances (CEDC). Lacking stable shelter, food, healthcare, education, and legal protection, these children face heightened risks from extreme weather events such as floods, heatwaves, storms, and temperature fluctuations. Prolonged exposure to severe weather and unsanitary conditions increases their vulnerability to several diseases. Homeless families often depend on informal labour, that includes rag-picking and street vending. However, natural disasters destroy their fragile livelihoods, forcing them into begging or starvation. Displacement caused by climate disasters leaves homeless children even more prone and vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation. In 2021, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), introduced The Children’s Climate Risk Index, which addressed how climate change pushes the most vulnerable children deeper into destitution by limiting their access to essential services, and amplifying the life threatening effects of climate change, showcasing a vicious cycle that emphasises how the climate crisis is, fundamentally, a child rights crisis. 

The Lacunae

In India, there exist a number of laws and institutions established by the government that indirectly secure the rights of homeless children. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) ensures that laws, policies, and programs align with the child rights perspective enshrined in the Constitution and the UNCRC. The Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) encompasses all the centre and state level initiatives aimed at creating a safe environment for children in need of care and protection, including street children. The Juvenile Justice Act clearly defines “child in need of care and protection” that includes homeless children. Notably, even the Supreme Court has recognised the right to be free from the adverse effects of climate change, deriving it from Articles 14 and 21 of the Indian Constitution. 

Now, if there are already legal frameworks in place, then why does the need to protect street children from climate hazards persist? Well, to simply put, the challenges lie in the broad application and the problem of poor implementation. Firstly, these provisions comprise several categories of children and address a wide range of issues, due to which the focus might shift from climate change to the problems that have higher publicity and occur more frequently such as sexual abuse or the right to education. A specific problem ought to be addressed through dedicated legislation and specialised agencies to ensure efficient use of resources and wide outreach. Secondly, the present institutional framework is not equipped to implement climate change resilience initiatives on such a large scale. Every action goes through a tedious process of approval, fund allocation, assignment of duties, and such complex bureaucratic requirements delay children’s timely access to aid. Alarmingly, a mere 2.4% of funding for climate change adaptation goes to programmes for children. The lack of child-centric disaster preparedness, combined with the failure to implement the existing policies comprehensively, leaves street children unprotected from the climate change induced hardships. These children are often unable to avail disaster relief, medical attention, or rehabilitation services and remain invisible in the states’ disaster management plans, as most countries rarely have any mechanism to track and support them. 

The urgency

In December 2024, UNICEF published its Study of Children in Street Situation in India. The report highlighted a plethora of challenges faced by those children. It provides cases from various regions across the country, exploring their living conditions, eating habits, and the harsh weather conditions they are exposed to. It recounts stories of children being unable to cook food due to extreme weather, unavailability of clean water and being exposed to vector borne diseases in unsanitary working conditions, and so on. Their hardships are worsened by the impact of climate change. Currently, the primary long-term solution for preventing further environmental degradation due to climate change is to cut Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by at least 45% by 2030. However, we cannot afford to ignore the urgent need for active intervention to protect street children from climate risks while waiting for the emissions to fall. Children’s lives are at stake; any delay would only deepen their hardship. 

Breaking the cycle

For a start, the government should amend national disaster management legislations to explicitly include provisions that protect homeless children. Surveys and studies should be conducted to have a better understanding of what all actions are necessary, and where the system is lacking in securing the lives of street children from the effects of climate change. A holistic approach must combine prevention (climate change awareness, early warning systems, and disaster response training that reach street communities), and robust response (access to clean water, sanitation, and food, and rehabilitation of displaced children). 

Corporations should be encouraged to fund social protection programmes for street children as a part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). NGOs and human rights activists can support the fieldwork by helping them to navigate the procedure required to avail protection, educating them about the hazards posed by climate change, etc. Over Centralisation delays action, instead, a grassroot-level approach through local actors and delegation of duties would ensure that no child is left out. Public-Private partnership can maximise the reach of these measures. International bodies such as UNICEF, Save The Children, Consortium for Street Children, and the Red Cross launch campaigns to aid and protect vulnerable children from climate change related hazards and disasters. However, without sustained government support and coordination, their initiatives cannot achieve lasting, systemic change. International initiatives should be integrated at national-level to combat the disproportionate effects of climate change on children. 

Constructing disaster resilient infrastructure, improving healthcare facilities, administering prompt action; everything should be developed simultaneously. It is about time we stop waiting for one issue to resolve for us to start working on another. While several pressing issues demand urgent attention, the long-term crisis of climate change which threatens the very survival of mankind cannot be overlooked. The street children, who have neither a shelter, nor a safe refuge in times of disasters, are rendered helpless due to inaction. Through collaborative efforts, we can ensure a safe and secure future for every child.