Child-Led Disaster Risk Reduction

Child Led – Disaster Risk Reduction CLDRR, GP2009 1 Global Platform, Geneva, June 2009

Child Led Disaster Risk Reduction is an overarching component of Save the Children’s Child Centered DRR Strategy. It allows for the meaningful participation of children at all levels of programming as well as using proven behavior communication change methodologies and can be applied to both formal and non-formal education settings.

Child Led – Disaster Risk Reduction

Save the Children believes that children should be centrally engaged in reducing the risks of disasters in order that the negative impacts on communities are significantly reduced. Children have the capacity to contribute, bring a unique perspective to DRR preparations and have the right to play a part in making themselves and their communities safer, thus contributing toward a culture of safety.

Child Led – Disaster Risk Reduction

CLDRR – is made up of 5 components

Context & Partnerships

Capacity Building & Awareness Raising

Program Intervention & Activities

Monitoring and Evaluation, Learning and Documentation.

Advocacy

1. Context & Partnerships Understanding the operational context with a lens for the role children can undertake;

Strengthen existing organizations

Coordinate and collaborate with other stakeholders

Who’s responsible

Opportunities for partnership

2. Capacity Building & Awareness Raising

Laying the ground work for CLDRR requires that staff and stakeholder alike are to be trained in;

Meaningful children’s participation theory & practice with partners.

Understanding DRR specific to children.

Skills training for children.

Thailand Volunteer teaching Local Partner Organization in Children’s Participation

3. Program Implementation/Activities CLDRR programming implementation & Activities can take many different forms.

Child Friendly Safer Schools curriculum

Kids Clubs to access out-of-school children

Children’s involvement in Community based Hazard, Vulnerability and Capacity Assessments

Establish EWS where children understand & play a role

Children’s Parliaments advocating on specific issues related to children and disasters

Media Campaigns

A boy showing the location of his house in VCA mapping in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India.

4. Monitoring and Evaluation, Learning and Documentation. CLDRR GP2009 As part of any good Development practice CLDRR should include all stakeholders, including children in;

Baseline

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice situational analysis of children’s participation.

Indicators of success and means of verification.

Establishing expectation and desired outcomes.

Include children as part of the evaluation team

Share lessons learnt with Government, NGO’s, Community and Children’s organizations.

5. Advocacy CLDRR GP2009 Programs should look at ways to positively influence the situation for Children related to DRR at different levels including;

Encapsulating Child Rights related to DRR in Legislation

Policy that adequately takes in to consideration the plight of children’s needs

Procedures implemented by government officials such as police, social services etc are with in the Best Interest of Children relating to response and preparedness.

Using Child Led DRR project within a greater Child Centered DRR program CLDRR GP2009 CLDRR projects can be used to increase the relevance and depth to Child Centered DRR programming. Each component can be used as part of a larger DRR program which placed children needs and rights at the centered of consideration.