By Abbas Nazil
Climate change is increasing the risks of child marriage, teenage pregnancy and violence against girls, as extreme weather events disrupt health, education and household livelihoods, according to a new report by Plan International.
The report, titled Change Her Forecast: The State of the World’s Girls 2026, found that climate-related disasters are placing growing pressure on families and exposing adolescent girls to serious social and health consequences.
The findings were based on interviews with 5,000 girls and young women aged 15 to 24 in Bangladesh, Kenya, Peru, Senegal and Zimbabwe.
It found that one in 10 respondents had experienced an unintended pregnancy following a climate-related event, while 33 per cent said unintended pregnancies had increased in their communities.
Nine in 10 girls surveyed said climate-related events were putting serious pressure on their families’ survival, health and stability.
The report also found that 28 per cent of respondents had witnessed an increase in violence against women following climate-related events, with the proportion rising to 60 per cent in Zimbabwe.
Plan International said climate disasters such as floods, droughts, cyclones and extreme heat are damaging the health and education services that girls depend on, while worsening economic pressures on vulnerable households.
The organisation warned that prolonged droughts can destroy crops, livestock and household incomes, leaving families with fewer resources and increasing the likelihood of girls being married at an early age as a means of coping with economic hardship.
The report said prolonged drought was the climate hazard most consistently associated with increasing rates of child marriage and early unions across 52 countries over three decades.
Plan International called on governments to allocate a defined share of climate adaptation funding to adolescent girls’ health, including sexual and reproductive health services.
The warning came as Pacific island nations hosted international climate discussions ahead of the UN climate summit scheduled to take place in Turkey next month.
UN climate chief Simon Stiell also highlighted the growing health consequences of extreme heat, particularly for pregnant women.
Stiell said a new survey showed that more than two-thirds of health professionals across five continents had observed complications associated with intense heat during the past five years.
He said extreme heat during pregnancy is increasingly being linked with premature births, stillbirths, low birth weight and complications affecting mothers.
The discussions in Fiji and Tuvalu have placed particular attention on the vulnerability of Pacific communities to rising temperatures and sea levels.
Fiji has urged developed countries to support a just transition to renewable energy and provide greater financial assistance to countries facing the most severe consequences of climate change.
A United Nations report released in August estimated that developing countries require between $310 billion and $365 billion annually to adapt to climate change, but had access to only $26 billion in adaptation finance in 2023.
The report also warned that as many as 1.2 billion people could be displaced by 2050, while Pacific island countries are experiencing sea-level rise at around twice the global average.
The findings highlight how climate change is extending beyond environmental and economic damage to affect the safety, health, education and future prospects of girls and young women, particularly in vulnerable communities.
