Plan promotes an innovative child-centred approach to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) that harnesses the energy and ideas of children and young people to work towards making their lives safer and their communities more resilient to disasters.
This includes:
- Working with children and youth groups to build awareness about risks and develop their capacities through participatory Hazard, Vulnerability and Capacity Assessments (HVCAs), risk mapping and training on disaster preparedness, prevention and mitigation.
- Through children, supporting the spread of information about DRR, including child led videos, radio programmes and street theatre performances which raise community awareness of risks and influence local duty bearers to prioritise risk reduction.
- Promoting better management of DRR, risk management and child-centred contingency planning and disaster preparedness through strengthening the capacities of adults, education practitioners, communities, media and local government.
- Working with Ministries of Education and national DRR agencies to develop school safety manuals, DRR curricula and teacher training modules on DRR.
- Influencing governments to include children’s participation in DRR governance structures and decision-making processes.
- Creating opportunities at national and global levels for young people to express their views and concerns on DRR and climate change adaptation.
- Contributing to learning and influencing policy through networks and alliances on DRR, Climate Change Adaptation, Education in Emergencies and Child Rights.
Focus on: Children's role in disasters in the Dominican Republic
When hurricane Thomas threatened the Dominican Republic hundreds of children were prepared and alerting their communities to the dangers.