Climate change, economic hardship, and child labour: a focus on rural Swat, Pakistan

Abstract

This study examines the interconnection between climate change, economic hardship, and the rise in child labour in Swat, a rural district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The region has faced intense environmental degradation, including floods, deforestation, glacier melt, and declining agricultural productivity, which has resulted in significant socio-economic instability. Using a qualitative case study approach, this research investigates how these climate-induced changes compel families to withdraw children from school and push them into labour as a coping mechanism. Data is collected through desk reviews, semi-structured interviews with affected children, parents, teachers, NGO representatives, and child protection officials, supported by field observations and thematic analysis. The research applies a Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) and draws on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) to assess the violation of key child rights, particularly Articles 6, 24, and 32, concerning development, health, and protection from economic exploitation. Preliminary findings indicate a strong causal link between environmental stress and rising child labour, with children increasingly engaged in agriculture, domestic work, and informal labour sectors. Structural gaps in policy implementation, weak integration between child protection and climate adaptation frameworks, and under-resourced local welfare systems further exacerbate this issue. The study concludes with policy recommendations including child-sensitive climate adaptation, conditional cash transfers to support school retention, local protection system strengthening, and targeted training for child welfare officers. By focusing on Swat, this research contributes to climate justice and children’s rights scholarship in underrepresented geographies and advocates for inclusive, rights-based responses to climate vulnerability.