About 648,000 children in Portugal (40%) are exposed to drought, while 469,000 (29%) are exposed to heat and 474,000 to fires, UNICEF revealed today in a report on climate risk.
According to the same source, more than 1.5 million children (about 93%) are exposed to air pollution, and the total (more than 1.6 million) are exposed to storms.
Released on the eve of World Drought Day, the Children’s Climate Risk Report 2026 reflects the impact of climate change on children worldwide and points to “relevant and concerning data for Portugal,” according to UNICEF.
Portugal is identified as one of five small-sized countries where relative exposure to fires is considered “disproportionately high,” alongside Guinea-Conakry, Sierra Leone and Uruguay.
According to the rapporteurs, all children are exposed to at least one climate hazard, and about 67% are exposed to at least two climate hazards.
In terms of exposure intensity, 87.14% of children live in areas with risk levels above the global average (75th percentile) and 27.02% are exposed to “extreme levels of intensity” (95th percentile).
The study was conducted using a global database (Global Child Hazard Database), which allows mapping children’s exposure to multiple climate and environmental risks.
