According to UNICEF, play is vital for children to build social connections, develop physical and mental health, and enhance creativity.
Enshrined in Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the right to play underscores its significance for a child’s well-being and development
However, children are often deprived of this right
According to the ‘Value of Play’ report by The Real Play Coalition (IKEA, the LEGO Foundation, National Geographic and Unilever), globally, one in five children does not have the time to play, and one in 10 children gets no outdoor play.
In India, leisure and access to public spaces to play are linked to socio-economic disparities and social identity, including caste, class, disability, and gender.
Unfortunately, climate change is emerging as a fierce competitor to these barriers.
With extreme weather events and rising temperatures, climate change is limiting the time children get to engage with their peers and the world around them through play
UNICEF’s Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI) report 2021 suggests that with a rank of 26 out of 163 countries, India is among the countries where children are most at climate risk.
With floods, heatwaves, and droughts impacting families and children more frequently than ever before, heatwaves, in particular, are making outdoor play increasingly unsafe.
The extreme conditions not only limit a child’s ability to play outdoors but also pose significant health risks.
A recent analysis by UNICEF revealed that South Asia has the highest percentage of children exposed to extreme high temperatures compared to other regions.
In India, heatwaves have also led to school closures and restricted outdoor activities to protect children.
This can have long-term impacts on their physical and mental health.
Urbanisation and environmental degradation are reducing the availability of safe play spaces, especially in low-income communities where playgrounds are often non-existent or poorly maintained.
The houses are often overcrowded and small, limiting opportunities for indoor play.
Research shows that limited access to safe play spaces hinders a child’s physical and cognitive development, leading to long-term economic impacts such as a less skilled workforce and higher social welfare costs
Measures to take
To avoid this long-term impact, we need to focus on implementing bioclimatic design principles in playground infrastructure and integrating urban planning strategies.
This involves introducing green spaces and cooling corridors within cities, which will help mitigate urban heat island effect (intensified by an abundance of concrete-based construction) and provide safe-play environments for children.
Local communities can also come together to create shaded areas in parks where children can meet and play on warmer days.
In addition, long-term solutions should prioritise preserving and adapting vernacular architectural techniques to implement passive heating and cooling methods
Providing students with hands-on opportunities and platforms to take concrete actions and play advocacy roles, such as participating in biodiversity mapping, air pollution and water quality assessments, can empower them to understand and address environmental issues
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