State of the World’s Children Report w/ UNICEF Aotearoa Director of Communications, Tania Sawicki Mead

What does the future hold for the world’s children? Twenty-fifty is now twenty-six years away, and a recent report made by UNICEF makes predictions based off of three megatrends they have developed.

By the twenty-fifties, the global child population is expected to stabilise at 2.3 billion, the most substantial areas of growth being in South Asia and most of the African continent. These areas already struggle to meet children’s basic needs, which are also now affected by a rapidly changing climate and a lack of adequate digital infrastructure.

Half of the world’s children today - 1 billion - live in countries where there is a greater risk of climate and environmental hazards. Adding on to this is the gradual increase of urbanisation, the development of compact city living. Without adequate infrastructure to support this influx, these factors will jeopardise the future development of children.

The future is ours to shape, and to continue down a ‘business as usual’ is the easiest path, but will create a worse reality. To understand these ideas in full, Sasha spoke to UNICEF Aotearoa Director of Communications, Tania Sawicki Mead about the recent report and its implications for the future of global childhood.