Rising Heat Affects Children's Learning Ability, Study Warns
A recent study has raised serious concerns about how climate change, particularly rising heat, affects children's learning capacity. According to researchers from Australia's Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and the University of New South Wales, extended exposure to high temperatures may negatively impact children's ability to learn.
The researchers reviewed data from seven previously published studies involving around 14.5 million students across 61 countries, including India. Published in the journal PLOS Climate, the study found that long-term exposure to heat impairs students' learning ability. Performance in complex subjects like mathematics tends to decline more than in simpler tasks.
As the planet continues to warm, the study team emphasized that the cognitive development of young people may suffer. They also pointed out that low-income and vulnerable populations—often least able to protect themselves from the effects of climate change—will face greater inequality and reduced quality of life. Economic progress could also be hindered in less developed countries where people are more frequently exposed to heat.
Expert Insights on Heat and Brain Function
Experts explain that when the body cannot cool itself adequately to maintain a healthy temperature, it experiences heat stress. This stress reduces the brain’s ability to carry out cognitive tasks. According to Professor Lab Vashney, a neuroscientist and associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, extreme heat affects both blood flow and oxygen supply to the brain.
When exposed to excessive heat, people may experience symptoms close to unconsciousness. High temperatures can disrupt the barrier between the brain and the bloodstream, leading to an accumulation of unnecessary proteins and ions in the brain. This results in swelling of the brain and impairment of its normal functions. Brain cells begin to die, and the section of the brain responsible for regulating body temperature through sweating may also become affected.
