In 2024, climate disasters surged with devastating force. In Asia, heatwaves scorched India and Pakistan, with temperatures reaching 122°F, forcing schools to close. Catastrophic floods in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul displaced over 500,000 people, while East Africa faced its worst flooding in decades, with Kenya, Tanzania, and Somalia seeing thousands uprooted. In the U.S., Hurricane Helene – a deadly Category 4 storm – caused widespread damage to the southeastern United States. The hurricane triggered widespread power outages, destroyed homes, destroyed farms, and displaced vulnerable communities.

Climate change fuels child labor by worsening poverty and disrupting livelihoods. Extreme weather events force vulnerable families to make difficult choices. Without stable resources, many families turn to child labor as a survival strategy. Understanding how the climate crisis multiplies other issues is crucial to protecting children and breaking the cycle of poverty and exploitation.

Poverty and Loss of Livelihood

When climate disasters such as storms, droughts, and floods occur, families lose their homes and sources of income. Lower income families who were already vulnerable, are now completely exposed. When there is a climate disaster, households respond by exhausting their savings or selling any assets, but if these options are not available they may have to turn to child labor as a last resort. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), “the damage caused by climate change is significantly affecting livelihoods and living conditions, pushing more people into poverty and degrading the circumstances of those who are already poor and vulnerable.” 

Climate disasters completely disrupt livelihoods. Not only are homes, places of work, and schools destroyed but access to essential services and needs are inaccessible or unaffordable. 

After a climate disaster, price gouging often occurs for basic necessities such as food, water, and fuel. For lower income families, who are already struggling to make ends meet, these sudden increases in prices coupled with a loss of income make them more likely to resort to child labor for survival. 

Increased Rainfall Increases Child Labor

Climate change can lead to heavier precipitation in some areas. Considering that 70% of child labor happens in agriculture. When there is an increase in precipitation, there is an increase in child labor due to “agricultural productivity.” For example, in Tanzania, “one standard deviation increase in rainfall led to an increase in child labour for children aged 6 to 13 years by nearly five days per year.” Heavier rainfall can boost the production of crops, which leads to a greater demand for labour.

Displacement and Forced Migration

Extreme climate disasters can completely displace families and put children at risk for child labor. Between 2016 and 2021, 43 million children were displaced by climate disasters. When families are forced to flee, they are stripped of stability, community, and resources. Families who are displaced can find difficulty finding employment due to lack of documentation or language skills. As a result, families may send their children into child labor to afford immediate basic needs. 

Climate change increases child labor by worsening poverty, disrupting livelihoods, and displacing families. Protecting children requires integrating child labor prevention into climate adaptation and disaster response efforts. Supporting vulnerable families with social safety nets, education access, and livelihood programs can reduce reliance on child labor. 

The International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNICEF released a joint report that recommends governments integrating universal social protection programs into their policies to combat child labor. There is a link between poverty and child labor. If lower income families have social protection programs to rely on when there’s a climate disaster, this will reduce the chance that they turn to child labor to provide for their basic needs. Addressing both climate impacts and child labor together is essential to ensure children’s safety, education, and future.

This is the second article in the climate change is a threat multiplier series. To read the first article on how climate change disrupts education, please click on this link.