Children in the New Millennium: Environmental Impact on Health

Yet for all the advances made, children everywhere continue to suffer the consequences of environmental degradation. Collapsing ecosystems leave them less able to realize their rights and sustain their basic needs: clean food, air and water. Children are often the canaries in the coal mines. Their health is a key barometer of the long-term effects of the decisions and activities of adults.

Children are exposed to a series of environmental threats to their health, physical and mental development – even their survival. As this book outlines, prevention is the only sustainable solution: a healthy future for our children will be ensured only through safeguarding the environment. By illustrating the link between the environment and the well-being of our children, Children in the New Millennium intends to raise awareness and deepen our understanding of environmental health issues. Providing an informed basis for action and practical recommendations at different levels, the three United Nations agencies involved with the production of Children in the New Millennium hope to inspire everyone who cares about children to take decisive action that will improve both their health and that of the environment.