Delegates gathered in Nadi, Fiji, this week for a United Nations “pre-COP” climate meeting heard new findings linking extreme weather events to child marriage, teenage pregnancy and violence against girls, particularly in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
The charity Plan International released a report titled “Change Her Forecast: The State of the World’s Girls 2026” ahead of the International Day of the Girl Child on Friday. The report argues that floods, droughts, cyclones and extreme heat are straining health and education services that girls rely on, and that some families turn to early marriage of daughters as what the report calls a “survival strategy” amid economic hardship.
The findings are based on interviews with 5,000 girls and young women aged 15 to 24 in Bangladesh, Kenya, Peru, Senegal and Zimbabwe. Among the results: one in 10 girls reported an unintended pregnancy following a climate-related event, and 33 percent said they had noticed an increase in unintended pregnancies in their community. Nine in 10 respondents said climate-related events were placing serious pressure on their family’s survival, health and stability. About 28 percent reported witnessing an increase in violence against women following such events.
According to UNICEF data cited alongside the report, South Asia — including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh — has the largest number of child brides globally, an estimated 285 million, or roughly 44 percent of the world total. Sub-Saharan Africa follows, accounting for about 18 percent of the global total, or 115 million.
UN climate chief cites the findings
UN climate chief Simon Stiell addressed delegates at the Nadi gathering, which opened Monday, telling them: “Climate-driven extreme heat during pregnancy is increasingly linked to premature birth, stillbirth, low birth weight, and maternal complications.” He referenced the Plan International report in his remarks, according to AFP.
The Nadi meeting is a preparatory session ahead of the main UN climate summit, COP31, set to take place in Antalya, Turkey, next month. Organizers expect more than 100,000 attendees from nearly 200 countries, with estimates for total visitors and delegates ranging from 80,000 to over 150,000.
Funding gap looms over talks
The report comes months after a separate UN assessment released in August found that developing countries need between $310 billion and $365 billion to adapt to climate change, but had access to only $26 billion in adaptation finance in 2023.
“We rely on and we appeal to countries to commit to climate finance,” Fiji’s Tabuya said, calling for additional funding to flow to UN agencies working on the issue.
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