By Yagana Ali
Children in Adamawa State are increasingly bearing the hidden burden of climate change, with experts warning that changing weather patterns, rising temperatures, drought and flooding are threatening their access to food, safe water, healthcare and education.
The warning was issued during a climate change and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) engagement organised by the Adamawa State Government with support from UNICEF and the ASWA III Project, funded by the Government of the Netherlands.
Climate change expert, Professor Abel Adebayo, said the effects were already being felt across farming communities, where unpredictable weather patterns are making agriculture more difficult and placing household food security under growing pressure.
According to him, the traditional farming calendar has changed significantly, making it increasingly difficult for farmers to determine the right time to plant and harvest their crops. He said studies indicated that the planting season, which usually began around late April in the 1990s, has in recent years shifted to as late as June.
For families that depend largely on agriculture, Adebayo said, such changes could have consequences far beyond the farm, particularly for children whose nutrition and wellbeing depend on the availability and affordability of food at home.
He cited preliminary findings from a study of the 2024 drought, which showed that groundnut production declined by 31 per cent, while beans production dropped by 46 per cent. Maize and rice production also recorded declines of about three per cent each.
The decline, he warned, could worsen malnutrition among children, especially in poor households where groundnuts and beans serve as important sources of protein and other essential nutrients.
“When nutrition is affected, disease and the health of our children are also in danger,” Adebayo stressed, noting that the impact of climate change could become more severe if urgent measures were not taken to strengthen food production and protect vulnerable communities.
He further disclosed that annual rainfall had reportedly declined by 31.7 per cent, while the number of rainy days had fallen by 31 per cent. Rising temperatures, he added, were also exposing children and other vulnerable groups to heat-related illnesses, hunger, malnutrition and displacement.
UNICEF WASH Officer, Nambam Dawap, said children were particularly vulnerable because they depend heavily on families, communities and public institutions for essential services such as safe water, sanitation, healthcare, food and education.
Dawap explained that prolonged drought and declining water availability could push families towards unsafe sources of water, increasing children’s exposure to waterborne diseases. On the other hand, flooding could contaminate drinking water sources and destroy toilets and other sanitation facilities, creating favourable conditions for outbreaks of diarrhoeal diseases.
The UNICEF official also linked climate change to worsening child malnutrition, explaining that reduced agricultural yields could make food both scarce and expensive. For families already struggling financially, he said, this could mean smaller portions and less nutritious meals for children.
The impact, he noted, does not stop at food and health. Climate-related disasters can also interrupt children’s education, as floods may destroy classrooms, damage roads and make schools inaccessible. Displacement caused by disasters, he added, could force families to relocate and leave children out of school for prolonged periods.
Aisha Yusuf, Head of the WASH Unit at Adamawa State RUWASSA, called for climate considerations to be incorporated into WASH interventions, stressing that programmes must take into account not only access to water and sanitation but also the different climate and gender-related vulnerabilities faced by communities.
She said UNICEF-supported youth groups, including the YPASS initiative, were already participating in climate awareness activities, while environmental health clubs in schools were being expanded to cover climate change, hygiene, sanitation, waste management, water safety and menstrual health.
The experts called for greater investment in climate-resilient infrastructure, improved farming techniques, water conservation, forest protection and climate education for children, young people and communities.
They also stressed the need for climate action to be integrated into health, nutrition, education, WASH and child protection programmes, arguing that isolated interventions would not be enough to protect children from the growing consequences of environmental change.
For Adamawa’s children, the message from the engagement was clear: climate change is no longer a distant environmental concern. It is increasingly shaping what children eat, the water they drink, their exposure to disease, their ability to attend school and their prospects for a healthy future.
The experts therefore urged government, development partners, communities and families to act with greater urgency, stressing that protecting children from the effects of climate change must remain at the centre of the state’s development and resilience efforts.