Weather disasters displaced 43 million children in 6 years, and other nature and climate stories you need to read this week

Extreme floods, storms, droughts and wildfires caused 43.1 million children across 44 countries to flee their homes within a six-year period, according to a new UNICEF report. This equates to approximately 20,000 children internally displaced each day.

Floods and storms were the catalyst for 95% of recorded child displacements. The analysis predicts that river floods alone will displace almost 96 million children over the coming 30-year period.

The Children Displaced in a Changing Climate report is the first study of global displacements caused by weather-related disasters between 2016 and 2021.

China and the Philippines recorded some of the highest numbers of displaced children, due to their exposure to weather extremes, high child populations and early warning and evacuation capacity.

However, as a proportion of the total population, children resident in small island nations, such as Dominica and Vanuatu, faced the greatest threat from powerful storms, while floods were the biggest risk to those living in Somalia and South Sudan.

“It is terrifying for any child when a ferocious wildfire, storm or flood barrels into their community,” said UNICEF's Executive Director Catherine Russell.

"As the impacts of climate change escalate, so too will climate-driven movement. We have the tools and knowledge to respond to this escalating challenge for children, but we are acting far too slowly. We need to strengthen efforts to prepare communities, protect children at risk of displacement, and support those already uprooted.”

We've just lived through the world's hottest-ever September, according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service.

Not only did September break the previous record set in 2020, it broke it by 0.5°C, enough to astonish some climate change experts.

"This month was, in my professional opinion as a climate scientist – absolutely gobsmackingly bananas," researcher Zeke Hausfather wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

A succession of record-breaking temperatures are putting this year on track to be the warmest ever.

"The unprecedented temperatures for the time of year observed in September - following a record summer - have broken records by an extraordinary amount. This extreme month has pushed 2023 into the dubious honour of first place – on track to be the warmest year and around 1.4°C above preindustrial average temperatures. Two months out from COP28 – the sense of urgency for ambitious climate action has never been more critical,” said Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service.

September was 0.93°C above the average high between 1991 and 2020, driven by a mix of climate change and the El Niño weather phenomenon, according to experts.

The UN announced a new global framework to safeguard the environment from chemical pollution. The new framework aims to reduce risks to the natural world from harmful chemicals and phase out the most harmful ones.

Mont Blanc has shrunk to its lowest recorded level since records began 22 years ago, as soaring summer temperatures and a lack of rain reduce snowpack levels, according to scientists.

Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon fell 57% in September (when compared to data from a year earlier.)

Brazil’s government is removing thousands of non-Indigenous people from native territories in an attempt to stop land grabs of protected lands.

A glacial lake in the Indian Himalayas burst its banks, killing at least 40 people, with many more missing. Lhonak Lake overflowed as torrential rains and a reported avalanche caused major flooding.

Italy is planning a mass evacuation of tens of thousands living near the Campi Flegrei super volcano near Naples, following increased seismic activity that has seen 1,100 earthquakes in September alone, Naples officials said.

Japan has pledged more than $1 billion for the UN's Green Climate Fund, which helps vulnerable countries cope with climate change. The pledge makes Japan one of the biggest supporters, after Germany, the UK and France.

A rare Javan rhino calf has been born in Indonesia's Ujong Hulon National Park, environment ministry footage shows. Javan rhinos are one of the world's most endangered species, with the calf increasing the total population known to exist to 81.

Disastrous flooding that killed thousands in Derna, Libya, has washed away earth and stones to reveal new archaeological remains at the ancient Greek city of Cyrene in nearby mountains, including a potential Roman-era water canal.

New York Climate Week reinforced the importance of nature-positive action in supporting the net zero goals. Here are 5 key takeaways.

Extreme weather due to climate change is affecting animal migration patterns, with more than half of the planet's species on the move, as they seek more suitable environments researchers say.

The tiny Caribbean island of Redonda is showing the world how to save biodiversity. Once decimated by invasive rats and goats, the island has been transformed into a wildlife haven following an eco-restoration programme.

Direct air capture could play an important role in combating climate change, by removing the carbon dioxide that causes warming from the atmosphere. This is what needs to happen to scale up this technology.