Worldwide, children’s health and well-being are threatened by many challenges, including climate change and related phenomena, such as drought. Scholarly discussions on climate vulnerability among children are low in Africa, which has extreme climate impacts. This paper discusses findings from a qualitative study on climate vulnerability and resilience processes among street children in Harare. The results revealed that the children were exposed to incessant rains, heat spells, lice infestation, dropping out of school and food insecurity. The children employed resilience processes, including substance use, schooling, getting to the streets, returning home and delousing. The researchers suggest an education-based and family reintegration transdisciplinary model that builds resilience.
Keywords: Climate vulnerability, Resilience, Adolescent street children, Flocking, Indigenous knowledge systems
Manuscript submitted to Societal Impacts | Manuscript preparation was made possible with funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the FAR-LeaF Project at the Future Africa University of Pretoria, South Africa.
