Negotiators may not reach a climate deal in Copenhagen in December. And with the passing of this opportunity, goes another day borrowed from the world's 2.2 billion children.

They are the group most vulnerable to the effects of climate change today and stand to lose the most tomorrow.

During a recent trip to several developing islands, including the Maldives and the Kingdom of Tonga, Xinhua spoke to young people about environmental degradation, brought on by climate change and poor urban development.

Tiny in nature, the Maldives and Tonga have limited resources with which to fight environmental problems such as pollution, waste management and erosion.

For such vulnerable countries, climate change is expected to have devastating impact on their people's security while children stand to lose the most with their future haunted by questions.

Tonga on muddy ground

In a little village called Popoa in the South Pacific Kingdom of Tonga, William, 14, sitting under a black tarp, a makeshift kitchen, was flipping over three sizzling pancakes.

Under the tarp, the smoke was so thick that it was hard to see William's eyes. But he seemed unfazed, focusing intently on the three pancakes made of sugar, flour and oil -- a treat, he said, as flour was hard to come by.

Without access to clean energy, William is forced to breathe in smoke from this stove every day. His decision is common among the developing world: either breathe in polluted air or go without a cooked meal.

Smoke claims the lives of nearly 800,000 children each year, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Without even realizing it, William puts himself at risk every meal.

But looking around this small town, smoke might be the least of William's problems.

Popoa is built on top of a swamp. Houses are surrounded by pools of mud and stagnant waters, which create the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes and disease.

Malaria, which is highly sensitive to climatic conditions, causes more than 1 million deaths each year, up to 80 percent of which are among children under five, according to UNICEF.

Locals in Tonga say that storm surges are becoming more intense, putting towns like Popoa in acute danger of being flooded and then paralyzed by still waters during the dry season.

Better planning could prevent children like William from being exposed to such dangers. But, as in many developing countries, long-term planning is often a luxury.

Even if preventative measures are taken in Tonga, chances of maintenance are slim to none.

Many locals told Xinhua that Tonga was suffering from a constant state of disrepair. This can be seen throughout the country.

On Tonga's main island, Tongatapu, Sela Latu worries about the safety of her children. Just beyond her driveway is a crumbing seawall built by the Tonga Association of Non-governmental Organizations (TANO), an NGO that works with the Tongan government.

A local woman has already fallen through one of the wall's cavities, said Latu, who is a mother of seven.

Poorly built with sand and coral, the wall is no match for the constant thrashing of waves, which are growing more intense as years go by.

Sione Talo Fulivai, a climate change support officer from the environment ministry, says TANO and the government know about the problem but are awaiting overseas funding -- a common story.

Unseen side of Maldives

The small and isolated island of Guraidhoo in the Maldives barely surfaces from the blue waters of the Indian Ocean. As sea levels have risen from melting glaciers, the collection of atolls and islands that make up the Maldives are in danger of being submerged.

On Guraidhoo, Xinhua spoke to a pair of adolescents about rising sea levels and the slow environmental degradation brought on by poor urban planning.

Ahmed Zia, 17, and Ahmed Shafiu, 18, sat with a group of young boys surfing the Internet.

While most of the younger boys stayed quiet, Zia and Shafiu admitted that they were worrying about climate change.

But what will come, is due to come, they said, through a translator. "There's nothing we can do about it."

One sign of climate change, they said, was Guraidhoo's quickly eroding beaches.

Erosion is a natural process that appears to be enhanced by more frequent and intense storms in the Maldives.

But poor planning is also the culprit. Resorts constantly pump sand from the seabed back onto land to maintain picturesque shores for their high-paying customers. This changes currents, affecting surrounding islands and atolls.

Natives on Guraidhoo blame Kanclooma Resort, an upscale retreat just across a shallow lagoon, for damaging local livelihoods.

But the relationship between resorts and locals is complex. While resorts damage locals' lives, they also provide a source of income for local government and jobs.

In Guraidhoo, Kanclooma Resort employs roughly 30 people – the second biggest employer after the local government.

The most immediate sign of environmental degradation and perhaps the most pressing problem in the Maldives is the amount of trash created due to the increasing use of modern packaging.

Locals either burn trash or throw it in the sea, as Shafiu said, which has destroyed local beaches.

It is impossible to walk along some beaches on Guraidhoo without dodging soda cans, rusting bicycles and the putrid smell that clings defiantly to the humid air.

It is certainly not the pristine shorelines one imagines when one thinks of the "holiday paradise" Maldives.

Shafiu said his mother still threw away rubbish on the beach but he admitted it was wrong.

But would he pick up the trash if paid?

"No," he said. "We are too busy to do that."

The boys around him laughed.

(Xinhua News Agency November 22, 2009)