The report spotlights three global megatrends- demographic shifts, climate crises, and frontier technologies which would create ripple effects across society impacting trends like inequality, migration, urbanization.
Major Findings of the Report
- Demographic transition: Global child population is projected to stabilize at around 2.3 billion by 2050s.
- India projected to have 350 million children by 2050, accounting for 15% of global child population.
- Climate Risks: Nearly half the world’s children (1 billion) live in countries facing high risk of climate and environmental hazards.
- India ranks 26th in the Children’s Climate Risk Index (UNICEF, 2021) with children facing acute climate risks.
- Frontier Technologies: Digital Divide remains a challenge in realizing the benefits of Frontier technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), etc.
- Over 95% of people in high-income countries are connected to the internet, compared to 26% in low-income countries.
Major Recommendations
- Planning: Integrate climate resilience into local planning and infrastructure, including schools, healthcare systems, etc.
- Renewable Energy: Invest in renewable energy and promote solutions to cut emissions by 43% by 2030.
- Policy reforms: Legislations to protect children’s rights in digital environments, including new types of crimes; adopt ethical guidelines for technology development, etc.
