Ronita Torcato 

Due consideration will be given to starting environmental courses in universities across the state, assured Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan, in response to a formal plea from Sanjay Singh, Chief Officer of UNICEF Maharashtra. The occasion was the release of UNICEF’s State of the World’s Report – 2024: The Fate of Children in a Changing World at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai.

The report explores three megatrends that will profoundly impact children’s lives between now and 2050: demographic shifts, climate and environmental crises, and frontier technologies.

The report highlighted that states like Maharashtra, Assam, Odisha, and West Bengal will face significant environmental challenges. Children will be particularly affected by environmental changes, biodiversity loss, and natural resource depletion. The UNICEF report warned that in 2023, 20.8 million children were newly displaced within their countries, primarily due to conflicts and disasters.

Approximately 1 billion children currently live in countries facing high risks from climate and environmental hazards.

In this context, it is important to note that India will soon have the highest number of children in the world, approximately 35 crore. The Governor emphasized the need to focus on health, education, and skill training to create equal job opportunities and bridge technology gaps. He also commended the Maharashtra Youth for Climate Action and Green Club for their environmental initiatives.

Also read: Embracing Environmental Education: Aligning Values for a Sustainable Future