Deforestation and climate change: Risks to children’s environmental rights and policy implications

Abstract

Background: There is a limitation on literature that presents comprehensive analysis for the association between environmental-related children's rights with the environmental degradation such as deforestation and climate change. This study aims to explore the potential harm from environmental damage for children's life and will be referred to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The main four principles of UNCRC are: (1) the non-discrimination principle; (2) the best interests of the child; (3) the life, survival, and development principle; and (4) the participation principle. Methods: This paper uses integrative literature review and will conduct three phases, such as synthesis, literature, and thematic. The key terms for references are “Deforestation Child Rights” and “Climate Change and Child Rights”. Findings: In the global context, there is environmental-related child rights violation from environmental degradation such as climate change and deforestation. The child rights violation included (1) the child’s right to life, survival, and development violation; (2) the child’s right to health violation; (3) the right to an adequate standard of living violation; and (4) the child’s right to play violation. This led to the policy implication for Indonesia, specific for provinces with high rate of deforestation and climate change which is referred to four principles of UNCRC. Conclusion: This paper presented an explanation on how environmental degradation such as deforestation and climate change have the impacts on the children’s life. This study refers to the UNCRC framework to examine specific aspects of environmental-related child rights that are violated by environmental damage. Novelty/Originality of this Article: This article mentions policy implications for Indonesia's government to tackle the issue of environmental-related child rights, and refers to four fundamental principles of UNCRC, stressing on provinces with high level of environmental damages.