Natural Disaster

The frequency and severity of natural disasters have been increasing, and experts point to climate change as one of the culprits. While an average of 12 disasters took place per year in the fi rst half of the 20th century, that number reached an astounding 350 in 2004.7 The human suffering caused by natural disasters is most profoundly felt in developing countries, particularly poverty-stricken nations that lack the resources to cope with their aftermath. Countries with a low Human Development Index ranking suffer higher mortality rates from disasters.8 In addition, catastrophic disasters often result in enormous economic damage, sometimes exceeding the gross domestic product of low-income countries. While natural disasters are devastating for anyone who experiences them, children are the most vulnerable, due to their small size and relative inability to care for themselves. Children are more likely than adults to perish during natural disasters or succumb to malnutrition, injuries or disease in the aftermath. Natural disasters may force children out of their homes – or even their countries. They may become orphaned or separated from their families, and may be preyed upon by opportunistic adults. Emergency Preparedness and Risk Reduction Children must be the fi rst priority in risk-reduction efforts. Specifi c risks that exist for children and their caregivers, and the actions that might be taken to counter those risks, should be determined in addition to risk-reduction strategies for populations at large. Risk-reduction initiatives should be designed to educate families and children about simple and practical actions that can protect life and personal property in the event of natural disaster. Effective awareness programmes in schools, homes and communities can create a culture of prevention and empowerment. To ensure effective, timely and dependable responses, emergency preparedness measures, oriented specifi cally to children and women, must be in place. Children, families, communities and basic-service providers must be ready to meet health, nutrition, education and security needs when a disaster occurs. Since poverty often prevents people from taking preventive measures – and given that it is not the disaster alone but also vulnerability levels that determine the impact of any crisis – the underlying vulnerability of families must be reduced through poverty reduction and other measures. As disasters have the greatest impact on the vulnerable, their needs must be specifi cally addressed by response strategies, and vulnerable people should participate in preparing these strategies to ensure their relevance.

Hurricanes, fl oods and the severe effects of natural disasters cause loss of life and economic instability in small island states each year. This disaster riskreduction project, initiated by a young man from Trinidad and Tobago who was a delegate to the 2nd Children’s World Water Forum at the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico, is making a difference both locally and globally. “The International Education and Resource Network, Trinidad and Tobago Global Disaster Safety Map Project allows students to learn about disasters and the state of disaster management in their communities. It also empowers them to take measures for mitigation and preparedness. Many factors that exacerbate the impact of natural disasters are easily identifi able and avoidable, including indiscriminate dumping into waterways, improper or illegal land development, and unsustainable agricultural practices. “Therefore, national reforestation and watershed rehabilitation programmes are aimed at managing surface and groundwater resources and protecting watersheds to maintain an adequate level of water supply. The process is implemented by students, who create maps of their communities with specifi c measures for mitigation and preparedness. These community disaster safety maps are then joined to form a national safety map, which in turn is combined with other nations’ maps to create a global safety map. “Programmes in schools train teachers to empower students with environmentally friendly habits.” – Abraham Fergusson, age 16, Natural Disasters Youth Summit Ambassador, Trinidad and Tobago N