Enabling child-centred agency in climate change adaptation

Nick Hall

Plan International

• Climate change is a real threat to children in the 21st century.

• Nearly nine million children die before they reach their fifth birthday. These children are dying from a small number of preventable diseases and conditions, such as diarrhoea, malaria, pneumonia and malnutrition.

• Climate change will make these conditions worse, placing children at greater risk.

• 85% of the global disease burden as a result of climate change is borne by children.

• The world’s poorest children are on the front line of climate change and they need immediate support to cope with it.

• Involving children in reducing disaster risks must be prioritised as a cornerstone of adaptation to climate change.

• AND - Children should also be recognised as actors who can reduce the impacts of disasters and climate change within their homes and wider communities, as well as influencing policy at all levels.

• In many developing countries, children are over 50% of the total population.

• Of the global population affected by climate change around half are children. (and the totals are increasing)

• Every year, 500,000 children are displaced from school at any one time, for extended periods of time by flooding alone

• For every year of education future likely income increases by 10%

For every $1 spent on adaptation and prevention, $7 can be saved on recovery

“Adults may want to do itthemselves. “

“They may think we don’t have the capacity – that we can’t do it.”

“But actually, if given a chance and some guiding directions wechildren can do anything.”

Children in a Changing Climate and Plan International recommend that

governments enable children’s agency – their understanding and their active

involvement - in CCA:

 

1. Invest adaptation funds in education

 

2. Adaptation policies and investments should be designed to support programmes that encourage children to take an active role, locally and nationally

THANK YOU

More information

Websites for more information• Plan UK:

http://www.plan-uk.org/action/issues/reducingchildrensvulnerability/

• Children in a Changing Climate: www.childreninachangingclimate.org/

About Plan

Plan International is one of the largest child centred community development organisations, working in 62 countries to address the causes of poverty and its consequences for children's lives. Plan works with children, their families and communities to build a world where children are safe, healthy and capable of realising their full potential.