Are Pacific children facing too much heat?

Although the Pacific has been hit particularly hard by climate change, little research has been done.

That's why Dr Roannie Ng Shiu has launched a new study on how higher temperatures are affecting children in Sāmoa.

The study will examine the effects of heat and humidity on children at five primary and high schools across Sāmoa, says Ng Shiu, co-director of Te Poutoko Ora A Kiwa, Centre for Pacific and Global Health, at the University of Auckland, and Associate Professor at the National University of Sāmoa.

The researchers will measure heat and humidity in classrooms and outdoor spaces in the schools until the end of the school year.

Focus groups will be held with students and teachers to gather insights on children’s health, well-being, mood, and learning, when facing different levels of heat and humidity.

“Climate change is having a significant impact on the Pacific and there are no cooling systems in these schools.

“If we can quantify how much heat and humidity impacts on children, then hopefully we can improve their learning environments, so they can flourish,” Ng Shiu says.

Children aged under 15 make up 19.5 percent of Sāmoa’s population. They are particularly vulnerable to heat stress, as are people aged over 65, she says.

There is currently no data showing how rising temperatures affect the health and well-being of children in the Pacific Islands, says Ng Shiu.  

Heat waves are occurring more frequently, with temperatures soaring above 28 degrees Celsius, she says.

Extreme heat can cause everything from impaired cognitive performance to heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

“We hear when it gets terribly hot and humid, children tend to become more restless, lack concentration and can be hard to deal with.

“Children are at school at the hottest time of day, so it’s important to understand how that influences their health and their learning.”

In the Pacific, climate change is causing more devastating cyclones and floods, which can leave children anxious and depressed, Ng Shiu says.

“Children should have the right to grow up without having to worry about extreme weather events, which happen all the time now.

“They have the least power to do anything, so we’re passionate about projects that help reduce the impacts of climate change on children.”

Results are expected later this year and will be used to inform regional and school strategies to protect children from extreme heat.

As well as writing academic papers and reports, the researchers will create story books summarising their findings in an accessible format for children.

The study is funded by the International Science Council and led by the National University of Sāmoa. It will be carried out in collaboration with the University of the South Pacific and the University of Sydney’s Heat and Health Research Centre, which has designed interventions to cool schools in hot parts of Northern Australia.

Ng Shiu says the long-term plan is to expand the research to other Pacific countries, including the Cook Islands, Fiji, and Tonga.