Children in Australia and New Zealand Face Growing Health Risks from Climate Change, Report Finds

A new analysis released by the MJA‑Lancet Countdown warns that children and young people in Australia and New Zealand are bearing the heaviest health burden of a warming climate, with exposure to extreme heat and climate‑related stress on the rise.

The annual report, which tracks health outcomes linked to climate change across the region, highlights a clear upward trend in heat‑wave events that directly affect children’s physical wellbeing. Researchers point to increasing incidents of heat‑related illness, dehydration and exacerbated respiratory conditions among school‑aged children during summer months.

Beyond the immediate physical effects, the study draws attention to a growing wave of psychological distress among young Australians. Surveys cited in the report show that many adolescents report anxiety, sleep disruption and a sense of helplessness tied to the changing climate, a pattern that mirrors emerging findings from mental‑health professionals nationwide.

Experts note that children are especially vulnerable because their bodies regulate temperature less efficiently and they spend more time outdoors, often in schools that lack adequate cooling infrastructure. The cumulative exposure to heat stress can have lasting consequences, including impaired cognitive development and heightened susceptibility to chronic diseases later in life.

New Zealand faces a similar trajectory, with climate‑driven heat events becoming more frequent in the North Island and rising sea‑level concerns for coastal communities. Indigenous youth, in particular, are highlighted as at risk due to historical inequities and limited access to adaptive resources.

The report underscores that the health impacts on children are not isolated concerns; they reverberate through families, education systems and future workforce productivity. Health services are urged to prepare for a surge in pediatric cases linked to heat and to integrate mental‑health support into school curricula.

Policy recommendations include expanding heat‑wave early‑warning systems, retrofitting schools with climate‑resilient designs, and investing in community‑based mental‑health programs that address climate anxiety. Researchers stress that timely action can mitigate both short‑term harms and the longer‑term public‑health costs of inaction.

As the MJA‑Lancet Countdown continues its yearly monitoring, the authors call on governments, educators and health providers to place children at the centre of climate‑adaptation strategies, arguing that safeguarding the youngest generation is essential for the region’s overall resilience.