This image provided by the Youth 4 Climate Action shows students marching to the presidential office as part of the youth climate strike on Sept. 27, 2019.
SEOUL, Feb. 14 (Korea Bizwire) — Children experiencing disasters and abnormal weather caused by climate change are also being exposed to physical and mental problems, a charity group said.
ChildFund Korea, a Seoul-based charity organization, conducted a focus group interview of 29 children between 11 and 16 years of age from Seoul, North Jeolla Province, and Busan, in which the children identified climate change with ‘gum’ and ‘mosquitoes’, or something that bothers them in everyday life.
To children, the deeply rooted issue of climate change posed more than a simple problem of inconvenience, but was seen as a primary factor that curbs their everyday activity and causes mental problems or difficulties in interpersonal relationships.
The children said they always had to look out for accidents when going to school or hanging out outside because of frequent heat waves, cold snaps, and unexpected downpours, exposing them to feelings of stress, frustration, and anxiety.
Resorting to online courses following the COVID-19 pandemic has led many of them to struggle hanging out with friends.
“I couldn’t go to school because it rained too much. Hanging out with friends wasn’t enough to lift my spirits,” one of the children said.
Children believed that disaster notification texts and education from school helped them better address climate change.
One of the children had the actual experience of taking cover under the table during a recent earthquake, just like how he learned at school.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
“Disasters and abnormal weather caused by climate change”. Which disasters have children in Korea experienced that was ’caused’ by climate change? They are be