Children’s action for disaster risk reduction: views from children in Asia

This publication provides children and youth in Asia a platform to report on progress made towards "the need to protect women, children and other vulnerable groups from the disproportionate
impacts of disaster and to empower them to promote resiliency within their communities and workplaces" (as recognized in the declaration adopted in Incheon by the Asia Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in 2010) from their own point of view. Previous surveys conducted with children globally show that their views on local governance for disaster risk reduction often tend to be less positive than those of adults in all respects. This suggests that children have contributions to, or views about the process of improving local governance for disaster risk reduction which are unique to children but not yet being taken on board.

Thus this publication seeks to document the perspective of children from seven Asia countries (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam) on how disasters and climate change affects their lives and their rights. It highlights their views on what they believe their role can be in addressing disaster risk and climate change in their community and what they are expecting from their government, NGOs and the private sector. By presenting their own experiences of participating in disaster risk reduction activities, it aims to highlight the capacity of children in order to inspire other children and youth, as well as encourage local governments, NGOs, and the private sector to support child-centered community risk reduction and climate change adaptation.