It is no doubt that
young people the world over continue to shape the climate debate in diverse
forms. They have a major and influential role in for
instance the climate negotiations and are at the forefront of activism in their
home countries pressing their leaders to do more to tackle the climate crisis.
But they almost do not have a presence in advocating or promoting Disaster Risk
Reduction (DRR) or Disaster Risk Management (DRM) and the Youth
In Action on Climate Change: Inspiration from Around the World
report seems to back up this fact. This
is worrying as promoting disaster resiliency is not at the exclusion of young
people.
For this reason, the Major Group of Children and Youth
has partnered with the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
(UNISDR) and civil society partners from the Children in a Changing Climate
Coalition (CCC) to host a Children & Youth Blast! at the Third UN World
Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (3WCDRR) to be held in Sendai, Japan in
March 2015. Governments around the world have committed to take action to
reduce disaster risk, and have adopted a guideline, called the Hyogo Framework for
Action 2005-2015 (HFA) - Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to
Disasters, to reduce vulnerabilities to natural hazards. The
HFA assists the efforts of nations and communities to become more resilient to,
and cope better with, the hazards that threaten their development gains. It has
provided an inspiration for knowledge, practice, implementation, experience and
science for disaster risk reduction.
As the Post-2015
Framework on DRR will be adopted in Sendai,
youth around the world will need to voice their concerns and aspirations as response
capacity is needed for every natural disaster whether it is an earthquake, land
subsidence, tsunami, fire or a climate change related extreme weather event.
Areas of interest for young people include pre-disaster activities such as
acquisition of supplies, rescue equipment, and training of personnel engaged in
direct disaster management, including disaster risk reduction activities. Disaster-related
activities or services such as relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction, and
other works or services in connection with calamities are additional avenues
where youth could be involved in DRR and DRM efforts. Early warning systems, a well-prepared
population, good communication among first responders, emergency facilities,
access to emergency stores of food, medicine and drinking water, and more will
be needed as climate change exacerbate the risk of both slow- and fast-paced
extreme events.
As UNISDR continues hosting
consultations and negotiations with member states and stakeholders as part of
an ongoing effort to build international commitment to integrate disaster and
climate risk considerations in development policy and programs with a view to
the post-2015 development framework, it is essential that youth are not left
behind. It is necessary that they shape discussions and outline an approach
toward a new international framework for disaster risk reduction and resilience
to be considered in Sendai in 2015. They need to as the world moves toward the
end date of the HFA.
