The lifelong impacts of climate change on people and what we can do about them

In our last post, we explored the crucial role of investing in human capital—our health, knowledge, and skills—in addressing the climate crisis.

Today, we examine how climate change affects us from birth to old age, profoundly shaping our lives and communities.  Imagine a baby enduring a heat wave or a child missing school due to flooding. These events can have lifelong consequences, affecting health, education, income, and overall well-being.

At the World Bank’s Human Capital Project, our team is dedicated to understanding these challenges and identifying innovative solutions to protect people at every stage of life.

Source: Climate and Development Brief: Delivering for People and the Planet. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group, 2022.

How does climate change affect us throughout the life cycle?

Climate change has lasting impacts on health outcomes, starting as early as in utero. It increases mortality rates and causes permanent cognitive and educational setbacks among infants and young children. Higher temperatures and changing weather patterns are projected to result in over 21 million additional deaths linked to five major health-related issues by 2050, with infants being the most affected. A key factor in this is the increased prevalence of vector-borne diseases and reduced access to clean water. For instance, flooding in Bangladesh has been linked to higher rates of stunting in children due to increased water-borne diseases.  Working in extreme heat doubles the risks associated with pregnancy. Extreme weather events also hinder pregnant women from accessing medical care, leading to higher rates of newborn deaths and low birth weights.

Climate shocks disrupt education for school-age children and potentially cost them opportunities over their lifetime. Events like flooding or cyclones prevent children from attending school and limit their access to healthcare. In Mozambique, for example, flooding destroyed over 500 schools in one year, drastically affecting children's education.  

A new report on education and climate highlights that these disruptions are more widespread than previously thought. Since 2022, a staggering 400 million students globally have experienced school closures due to extreme weather events. The impacts are most severe in low- and middle-income countries, where education systems are already vulnerable to climate shocks. These short-term events can have longer-term impacts. Many kids do not return to school after the shock subsides. A striking graph illustrates how flooding in Latin America can significantly reduce education, especially for children who are not yet in school during the flood.

Source: Caruso, G. D. (2017). The legacy of natural disasters: The intergenerational impact of 100 years of disasters in Latin America

Climate change reduces productivity and earnings for working-age adults. Over the last 60 years, rising temperatures lengthened the transition season for malaria, increasing by 32% in the Americas and 14% in highlands Africa. This surge in disease, especially among vulnerable workers, leads to higher absenteeism and decreased productivity. As working-age adults work less and are not as productive, they earn less income and face increased poverty.  This graph clearly illustrates how extreme heat reduces productivity, with earnings lost to heat as a share of GDP across different regions and industrial sectors. Agricultural workers in poorer regions, like Africa and South-East Asia, are the most affected.

Source: The 2023 report of the Lancet Countdown

Climate change poses significant health risks for older adults. Heat waves are particularly dangerous for older adults. In Latin America, comparing the 95th and 75th percentiles of daily mean apparent temperature—what the temperature feels like to the human body—reveals an increase in mortality for those over 65. The elderly have higher rates of preexisting health conditions and mobility challenges, making it difficult to evacuate during disasters and recover afterward. Poor health also heightens the risks of illness from worsening air quality. In South Korea, outdoor air pollution has been shown to decrease cognitive function, especially among elderly women in urban areas.

Investing in human capital across all ages to address climate change impacts

Combatting climate change and building resilience across all life stages is crucial. The World Bank’s Human Capital Project works to generate evidence and knowledge to help identify country-specific needs and inform investments. This involves systematically assessing climate-related vulnerabilities in developing countries, focusing on impacts on lives, livelihoods, and economies, and identifying ‘best buys’ for climate and human capital investments. Here are some examples of World Bank programs addressing risks for specific age groups:

• Early childhood: Cash and in-kind transfers are vital for protecting human capital from the impacts of climate shocks, such as food insecurity and lost income. The Mauritania Social Safety Net System is a lifeline to many, providing regular cash transfers to over 90,000 households and maintaining a social registry with information on 300,000 potentially vulnerable households. When the 2022 lean season hit, the government quickly reached an additional 70,000 food-insecure households. These transfers ensure families can provide adequate nutrition and healthcare, directly supporting the healthy development of young children.
• School-age children: Integrating climate resilience into school infrastructure and curricula can also protect education outcomes. Nigeria’s Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment invests in constructing climate-resilient, energy-efficient, and eco-friendly schools. These schools feature adaptations like rainwater harvesting structures to combat both immediate climate shocks such as floods and long-term trends related to water availability. Additionally, the program offers digital literacy and remote learning, ensuring education continues even during climate disruptions.
• Working-age adults: In response to climate change impacts on the agricultural system, the government of Lesotho, in collaboration with the World Bank, has developed initiatives to build a more resilient agricultural sector, ensuring that working-age adults can maintain stable incomes and contribute to the country's food security and economic growth.
• The elderly: As climate-related health risks rise, it’s crucial to protect the most vulnerable populations, including the elderly. A new Climate and Health Program aims to improve healthcare infrastructure and services, ensuring elderly individuals receive the care they need during climate-induced health crises.

This is the second blog in series that showcases recent World Bank research to explore how human capital is critical for climate resilience, adaptation, and action. Check out the first blog here.

We are especially grateful to Gabriel Demombynes, Dani Clark, Jing Guo, Christina Nelson, and Sarah Eleuterio Comer for their insightful feedback and valuable comments on this blog.

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