New Delhi, November 27, 2025 – Children living in Indian districts that are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change are 25 per cent more likely to be underweight compared to children in less climate-vulnerable districts, a new study has revealed. The findings underscore the profound intersection between environmental risks and public health outcomes, particularly in low and middle-income regions where adaptive capacity is limited.

The study, conducted by researchers from Delhi’s Institute of Economic Growth and published in the journal PLOS ONE, highlighted that districts most exposed to climate hazards consistently underperform on health metrics such as stunting, wasting, and underweight prevalence, as well as access to healthcare facilities, relative to less vulnerable districts.

Climate Vulnerability and Public Health

India, with 80 per cent of its population living in areas highly exposed to extreme weather events such as cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and droughts, faces a heightened risk to public health outcomes. According to the researchers, these environmental vulnerabilities could undermine the country’s progress toward several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including those aimed at ending poverty, reducing malnutrition, and improving access to healthcare.

The SDGs, adopted by United Nations member states in 2015 under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, emphasize peace, prosperity, and well-being for all people while protecting the planet. Seventeen goals collectively cover areas such as poverty eradication, gender equality, sanitation, nutrition, and sustainable ecosystems. The study’s findings indicate that climate change could impede India’s ability to achieve these objectives, particularly in districts that face frequent climate shocks.

Key Findings of the Study

Using data from the National Family Health Survey-Round 5 and the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, the researchers assessed climate vulnerability at the district level and correlated it with health indicators. Some of the critical findings include:

• Underweight Children: Children in highly climate-vulnerable districts are 25 per cent more likely to be underweight than their peers in less vulnerable regions.
• Stunting and Wasting: Children in these districts face a 14 per cent higher likelihood of stunting and a 6 per cent higher likelihood of wasting (low weight for height).
• Non-Institutional Deliveries: There is a 38 per cent higher probability of non-institutional deliveries, meaning that a significant number of births occur outside healthcare facilities in highly vulnerable districts.
• Access to Healthcare: Climate-vulnerable districts face greater challenges in accessing health services, further exacerbating maternal and child health outcomes.

The authors emphasized that “districts that are highly vulnerable to climate change consistently underperform on the studied health targets as compared to districts that are less vulnerable.” This suggests that climate vulnerability itself acts as a structural determinant of health, beyond the conventional socio-economic and infrastructural factors traditionally considered in public health assessments.

Why Vulnerable Regions Are Disproportionately Affected

Low and middle-income countries, particularly in tropical regions such as India, are projected to experience the most severe consequences of climate change. The geographic location, coupled with limited adaptive capacity, exposes populations to higher risks of malnutrition, disease, and mortality during climate shocks. Extreme weather events can disrupt agriculture, reduce food availability, compromise water quality, and limit access to essential healthcare services.

Children, in particular, are highly susceptible to the effects of malnutrition and climate-related disruptions. Being underweight or stunted in early childhood can have long-term consequences, including impaired cognitive development, weakened immunity, and increased vulnerability to chronic diseases in adulthood.

Implications for Health Policy and Climate Adaptation

The study underscores the urgent need to integrate climate risk considerations into public health planning. Researchers argue that merely addressing socio-economic disparities or healthcare infrastructure is insufficient; policymakers must account for how climate change exacerbates health vulnerabilities.

“This study establishes the need to account for how climate change impacts health outcomes, apart from the socio-economic and access-related factors conventionally considered relevant, in low and middle-income countries such as India,” the authors wrote.

Effective adaptation strategies could include:

• Climate-resilient healthcare infrastructure: Ensuring hospitals and clinics remain operational during floods, cyclones, and heatwaves.
• Nutrition-sensitive interventions: Targeting food security and supplemental nutrition programs in districts prone to extreme weather events.
• Early warning and disaster response systems: Protecting vulnerable populations, particularly children and pregnant women, during climate shocks.
• Community-based awareness campaigns: Educating families about preventive healthcare, nutrition, and safe delivery practices in high-risk areas.

A Wake-Up Call for Sustainable Development

India’s experience illustrates the complex interlinkages between climate change and human development. With millions of children exposed to heightened climate risks, failing to address these vulnerabilities could stall progress toward achieving national and global health targets.

Researchers stress that climate adaptation policies must be equitable, evidence-based, and context-specific, prioritizing districts and communities most affected by environmental stressors. By addressing the health impacts of climate change proactively, India can improve child health outcomes while advancing its commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals.

The study serves as a critical reminder that climate change is not only an environmental issue but also a public health crisis, and urgent action is required to protect the most vulnerable populations, particularly children.