How climate change is shaping young people’s health: a participatory, youth co-led study from Bangladesh, Guatemala and Nigeria

Climate change is shaping adolescent and young people’s (AYP) transitions to adulthood with significant and often compounding effects on their physical and mental health. The climate crisis is an intergenerational inequity, with the current generation of young people exposed to more climate events over their lifetime than any previous one. Despite this injustice, research and policy to date lacks AYP’s perspectives and active engagement.

This report documents participatory, youth co-led qualitative focus group discussions were held in Bangladesh, Guatemala and Nigeria in mid-2023. A total of 196 AYP ages 12–25 years participated. Open-ended questions elicited responses regarding AYP knowledge, experiences and perceptions of climate change. Using NVivo software, translated transcripts were coded to explore and synthesise key thematic areas.