Protecting Children's Environmental Rights in the Face of Environmental Hazards

Children continue to be one of the most vulnerable populations to environmental harm due to their fragile physical development and dependence on stable living conditions. This literature review examines how children’s environmental rights are inconsistently implemented and weakly enforced by analyzing international frameworks, policies and real-world situations in various regions, also showing that despite the recognition of children’s environmental rights, many children still don’t receive consistent protection in practice. First, this literature review analyzes international frameworks to discuss the definition of environmental rights and legal protections for children. Then, through research about gaps between environmental regulations and their implementation in practice, the literature review examines environmental policy enforcement. Afterwards, this research analyzes environmental hazards by looking at previous studies on pollution, climate change, unsafe housing, and health effects on children. This literature review also investigates environmental inequalities based on regional and social aspects by comparing environmental risks across different communities. By analyzing international policies and case studies, existing research indicates that children’s environmental rights are not well-protected and are inconsistent across different regions, although they are recognized in international agreements and environmental policies. This research suggests that stronger environmental protections, more consistent policy enforcement, and reduced environmental inequalities are necessary to better protect children’s health and development.