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about this as a health and thirst problem and a barrier to taking regular baths, preparing
food, washing clothes and doing housework. They also mentioned that in times of water
shortage, gardens couldn‘t be watered and animals died. 167 Two years later, at least for
some children, this had not been resolved, in the eyes of one girl:
“Before the earthquake I had a place very close where I used to go to collect water; now we have
to go very far away because we can’t buy the water from the people in the camp.” 168
RESEARCH QUESTION 2: HOW CAN ENGAGING
CHILDREN REDUCE VULNERABILITY AND HELP
MANAGE RISK?
“In the new Haiti, my advice for the government is to implement information units in
schools on how to prevent disasters, how to behave during and after a disaster”
– young woman 169
The number of people affected by humanitarian crises globally has almost doubled in the
past decade, and over half are children. 170 The cost of humanitarian aid has tripled in the
same timeframe. 171 Global challenges -- including inequality, climate change, unstable food
and energy prices, environmental degradation, rapid population growth and urbanization
-- all contribute to increased vulnerability and growing humanitarian needs. In this context,
humanitarian actors must not only respond to the impact of emergencies, but also work
with communities, governments and development actors to reduce vulnerability and
manage risk.
Children have a crucial role to play. They have invaluable knowledge and perspectives
on their present circumstances, and will be the next generation of parents, workers,
community leaders and government and international representatives.
This review examines how engaging children can reduce vulnerability and manage risk by
asking:
• What do children do to reduce vulnerability and manage risk?
• What do children want in terms of disaster risk education and preparedness?
• What do children want to do, and what are their ideas on how to reduce vulnerability
and manage risk in the future?
Few existing reports address this question directly, but children have been increasingly
involved in disaster risk reduction and management especially since the 2004 Asian
tsunami and through cooperative initiatives including Children in a Changing Climate.