Climate Shifts Impacting Kids, Says Hyderabad Student After Attending COP30

Hyderabad: A student from Hyderabad, who returned from a global climate conference in Belem, Brazil, said health and the daily lives of schoolchildren were being altered by climate shifts, and that urgent action and education were needed to protect them.Sahruda P.D.V., a Grade 9 student at the Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet, travelled to Belém as a global representative with blue-zone access to COP 30, the 30th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). She presented core recommendations from the Children’s Climate Manifesto, a document she helped develop with young delegates from multiple countries. Sahruda said she felt most strongly about the manifesto’s section on children’s health. “Dust allergy, diabetes and mental health issues are becoming common among teenagers and kids. Seasons are no longer fixed. These made me feel strongly about climate change and act immediately,” she said. Sahruda believes that structured climate education for children and youth would build understanding and encourage earlier action across communities. She appealed to policymakers to recognise links between global policy choices and local outcomes. “The decision to move away from fossil fuels is helping reduce global temperature rise. If more action is taken, it would help reverse climate changes in the long term,” she said, summarising a message she carried to discussions in Belém. On Hyderabad, Sahruda pointed to the rising respiratory and allergy complaints among students and more erratic weather, and she said these local trends showed why young voices must be heard. “The weather has become unpredictable and extreme. These need to be urgently addressed. Climate education among kids, youth, and adults should be provided,” she said. She said her participation at the COP 30 gave her a platform to press for change and to ensure children’s experiences are recorded in global conversations. Returning to school, she plans to continue work on youth-led climate initiatives and promote climate learning among peers so that local communities can better understand and respond to the shifting risks they already face.



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