Enhance disaster preparedness among youth, children, women

Speakers at a symposium yesterday said disaster preparedness has to be enhanced among all, especially the youth, children and women.

In order to keep them safe from disasters and climate change impacts, they need be equipped with appropriate knowledge and skills to build resilience, they said at the discussion attended by researchers, practitioners and policy makers.  

Save the Children International, Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research (C3ER) of Brac University, Brac, C&A and C&A Foundation organised the programme at Brac Center INN, said a press release.

The two-day symposium was organised to systematically and effectively bring evidence into policy and practice, and to support practice-based application and research to reduce child-centred disaster risks, the release said.

Professor Ainun Nishat during the inauguration ceremony said, “It is essential to enhance the level of disaster preparedness among all and with particular attention to the youth, children and women. They can also play responsible roles during a disaster if they have a good understanding of the warning system.”

Mark Pierce, country director of Save the Children Bangladesh said Save the Children will continue to work and achieve the greatest impacts in the lives of the children in need and at risk.

Akramul Islam, director of tuberculosis and malaria control, water, sanitation and hygiene at Brac, said children, especially girl children, are vulnerable during disasters.

Representatives from the United Nations, government agencies, non-government organisations and students also attended the discussion.