Child-centered disaster risk reduction and climate action: Primer

The Primer is part of child-focused DRR activities in the Philippines for training, awareness and active participation in matters related to natural hazards and DRR goals. When Typhoon Haiyan struck in 2013, disparities in resources that could have prevented grave child rights violations such as abuse, exploitation and trafficking, among others, in the aftermath of the disaster were documented. It was subsequently found that, had more attention and resources been directed toward child-focused disaster risk reduction (DRR) initiatives before Typhoon Haiyan, there could have been a significantly reduced burden placed on children after the disaster.

In the aftermath of this disaster, UNICEF together with other Civil Service Organizations (CSOs) performed child consultations and assessments to identify their needs. This became the driving force for subsequent child-focused DRR initiatives in the country. This includes the UNICEF CCDRR project funded by the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation (MACF). This 2013–2021 program highlighted success stories and good best practices like children’s inclusion and participation in local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) councils and development of local DRRM planning, peer-to-peer awareness raising, etc. This led to increased capacity for disaster response and recovery together with climate change impact mitigation.