In this episode, we speak with Dr. Kathrin Zangerl, a pediatrician and global health researcher at the Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, about why children must be at the center of climate change adaptation.

Drawing on her clinical experience in Germany and Nepal, as well as her recent Lancet Child & Adolescent Health article analyzing 160 national adaptation plans, Kathrin explains why children are disproportionately impacted by climate change yet remain largely absent from climate policy. She reflects on the political and justice dimensions of this gap, highlights what meaningful child participation could look like, and shares ideas for how practitioners and the public can demand more child-centered approaches.

Why are children more vulnerable to climate change? What happens when they are excluded from national adaptation strategies? And how can their rights and voices be embedded in climate governance? Join us as we explore these questions and more.

🧠 Topics Covered:

• 🌡️ Why children face unique health risks from climate change
• 📜 Findings from a global study of 160 adaptation policies
• 🚸 The justice gap: children as the least responsible, yet most affected
• 🏫 What meaningful child participation in governance looks like
• 🌍 How practitioners, policymakers, and the public can push for child-centered adaptation
• ✊ Youth agency, activism, and hope for intergenerational climate justice

🧑‍🏫 About the Guest:

Dr. Kathrin Zangerl is a pediatrician and global health researcher at the Heidelberg Institute of Global Health. Her work focuses on planetary child health at the intersection of pediatrics, public health, and environmental sciences. She investigates how ecological disruptions affect children’s health and development, and how policies can better safeguard children’s rights in the context of climate change.

🖱️ Resources & Links:

• Zangerl, K. et al. (2023). Child Health Prioritization in National Adaptation Policies on Climate Change (The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health) Open Access Article
• UNICEF: Children and Climate Change
• UN Committee on the Rights of the Child: General Comment on Children’s Rights and the Environment
• Donate to support Just Access: https://just-access.de/donate

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.