Children at the Apex of a Fraying Triangle: Disasters and Recent Policies Disrupting the Human–Nature–Animal Harmony

Introduction

The human–nature–animal nexus is the connection that binds us together: ecosystems sustain human and animal life; animals contribute to ecological balance and cultural continuity; and humans act as stewards of both the natural environment and other species.¹ Children’s health is inseparable from the health of the environment in which they grow and live. Clean air and water, safe food supply, safe green spaces, biodiversity, and balanced relationships between humans, animals, and nature are essential for healthy physical, cognitive, and emotional development.^2,3 When this balance is disrupted—through environmental degradation, unsustainable resource use, or inadequate governance—the consequences for children are more profound. Exposure to polluted air and water, loss of natural play spaces, increased incidence of vector-borne and zoonotic diseases, and climate-related disasters disproportionately affect pediatric populations.^4,5

In Türkiye, the integrity of this nexus has been challenged especially over the past ten years by a series of legislative and environmental changes. Since 2018 legal amendments and administrative decrees have progressively weakened protections for forests, agricultural lands, and biodiversity. These policy shifts include the 2018 amendment to the Forest Law enabling presidential reclassification of forest land, 2021 decrees permitting construction on designated forest areas, and mining expansions—sometimes without Environmental Impact Assessments—that have affected ecosystems such as the Akbelen Forest. Most recently, in 2025, a new law (Law No. 7554) authorized mining in olive groves and other sensitive habitats, while the summer brought unprecedented forest fires across Mediterranean regions.

These developments are not only environmental issues—they are human health issues, affecting the future of the children also. Forest loss reduces air quality, increases urban heat, and diminishes climate resilience. Habitat destruction and unregulated animal policies alter disease dynamics and zoonotic risk. Agricultural degradation threatens nutrition security. And climate-amplified disasters disrupt education, displace families, and inflict psychological trauma on children.

Chronology & Case Studies (2018–2025)

Erosion of Forest Protection (2018–2021): Fragile Ecosystems and Displaced Animals

Amendments to the Forest Law in 2018 allowed for the reclassification of forest areas for non-forestry use, might have seemed like a bureaucratic detail.⁶ But, this change marked the erosion of ecological guardianship. Forests are not just timber reserves; they are living homes for animals, natural air filters, and safe playgrounds for children; providing clean air, regulating temperature, and housing diverse species. Their reduction not only increases exposure to air pollutants and heat but also displaces wildlife. For children, this erosion is immediate and measurable. Reduced forest cover worsens air pollution and heat exposure, both harmful to developing lungs. Children’s developing lungs are especially sensitive to pollution and heat stress.^3,7

Moreover, animal displacement that once kept ecosystems in balance —pollinators, insect predators, birds- alters ecosystems, raising risks of zoonotic spillovers. Research shows that loss of predator species enables vector expansion, contributing to child vulnerability to diseases such as Lyme disease and arboviruses.⁸ Beyond physical health, the decline in safe green spaces limits children’s opportunities for outdoor play and contact with natural environments—activities essential for mental well-being and social development.⁴

Mining and Agricultural Lands (2022–2023): Threats to Food, Livelihoods, and Animal Companions

By the early 2020s, mining pressures extended beyond forests into agricultural lands. Olive groves, once seen as untouchable symbols of continuity, became targets of industrial exploitation especially mining and energy projects. These groves do more than yield oil: they sustain pollinators, grazing animals, and cultural continuity.

For children, the consequences are direct. Olive oil, central to the Mediterranean diet, protects against obesity, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease.^9-11 Habitat destruction endangers pollinators and livestock, weakens fruit and vegetable harvests, undermining food security and dietary diversity. Families relying on animals for food and income face economic instability, further heightening childhood malnutrition risk.

Beyond physical health, there is also the emotional bond. Rural children often grow up with companion and working animals —cows, goats, dogs— as integral parts of their lives. The displacement or loss of these animals contributes to ecological grief, an emerging form of psychological distress increasingly recognized in pediatrics.¹²

Stripping landscapes of trees and animals therefore undermines nutrition, immunity, and resilience in the youngest generation.

The Mining Law of 2025: A Break in Triangle

Law No. 7554, adopted in July 2025, permitted mining in olive groves and other sensitive lands.¹³ The law legitimized uprooting not only trees but entire webs of life. Olive groves shelter migratory birds, pollinators, and domestic herds. While stipulating that uprooted trees be transplanted, evidence shows that mature olive trees rarely survive relocation, and replanted saplings cannot replace centuries of ecological memory nor can it restore the lost habitats of animals.^14,15

This law undermines intergenerational justice. Children will face degraded soil, contaminated water, and reduced biodiversity, while short-term economic profits benefit others. Habitat loss also increases human–wildlife contact, raising zoonotic disease risks.¹⁶ Biodiversity loss erodes natural protections—clean water, fertile soil, pest regulation—that sustain child health. Fragmented habitats force wildlife into human spaces, amplifying zoonotic spillover risks, as starkly revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic.^12,17 In this sense, the law represents not only an ecological setback but a public health hazard with consequences stretching into future generations.

The Summer of Fires (2025): Children and the Silent Animal Victims

Only months after the mining law, Türkiye suffered one of its worst wildfire seasons in history. Prolonged drought and record summer heat created catastrophic fires. The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service recorded emissions surpassing two decades of wildfire data.¹⁸ Since July 2025, wildfires in Turkey have affected multiple regions, with the most severe damage in the Aegean (İzmir, Manisa), Marmara (Bilecik, Bursa, Çanakkale), Central Anatolia (Eskişehir), and Mediterranean (Adana, Antalya, Mersin, Hatay, Osmaniye). Tens of thousands of people were evacuated, historic and natural sites were threatened, and infrastructure like highways and airports was disrupted. In total, at least 18 people lost their lives, including firefighters and volunteers, highlighting the widespread human and environmental toll.

While there’s no specific reporting on children affected in Turkey during the 2025 wildfires, the impact on children was immediate: evacuations, disruption of schooling, and widespread smoke exposure. Wildfire smoke contains fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅), ozone, and carbon monoxide—pollutants that exacerbate asthma, bronchospasm, and respiratory infections in children.^19,20 Physiological and developmental factors—such as immature immune systems, smaller airways, and higher metabolic demands—make children especially sensitive to heat, air pollution, allergens, and disaster-related disruptions.²¹ During the late-July to mid-August fire peaks, several Turkish outlets and clinicians reported surges in emergency visits for breathing problems in affected provinces (typically ~20–30% increases), though these figures weren’t broken out cleanly by pediatrics nationwide.

Yet another tragedy unfolded largely in silence—the devastation of animals. According to WWF-Türkiye, the 2025 wildfires—among the most destructive in recent history—have severely threatened wildlife communities, including endangered and rare species, and degraded entire ecosystems. The organization emphasizes that many animals were either killed or severely traumatized, millions of wild species perished, livestock were lost, and countless pets abandoned.²² For children, witnessing animal suffering and loss deepens trauma. Many grieve the disappearance of familiar wildlife or the death of pets, and these experiences leave deep psychological imprints. The psychological toll includes anxiety, sleep disturbances, and ecological grief.¹² Thus, the fires were not only an environmental and human disaster but also a rupture in the human–nature–animal bond, with children bearing the heaviest burden of loss.

What Should Be Done?

The Turkish experience between 2018 and 2025 demonstrates that environmental degradation, animal loss, and climate extremes are inseparable from pediatric health. Addressing them requires a One Health approach that unites human, animal, and environmental medicine.

• 1. Strengthen legal protections. Forests, olive groves, and biodiversity must be treated as determinants of child health, not disposable resources.

• 2. Adopt One Health frameworks. Pediatricians, veterinarians, ecologists, and public health experts must collaborate to monitor zoonoses, air quality, nutrition, and biodiversity.¹¹

• 3. Invest in resilience. Disaster preparedness must include pediatric- and animal-focused strategies: safe shelters, smoke exposure education, and animal rescue integration.

• 4. Expand pediatric advocacy. Pediatric societies should highlight environmental and animal protection as essential child health policies, positioning themselves as advocates for intergenerational justice.

Only by restoring the harmony between humans, nature, and animals can we secure the right of children to grow up in a healthy, sustainable world.

Funding Statement

The authors declared that this study has received no financial support.

Data Availability Statement:

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author.