When we learn and talk about foreign aid and supporting developing countries around the world, so much focus is placed on what are often viewed as the “pillars” of development:
· Education
· Health Care
· Access to Clean Water
· Human Rights
… and the list goes on. While the need for the list above is undeniably necessary, there is a much less discussed facet of PLAN International’s global outreach and that is “Emergency Response and Education.”
For simplicity, let's refer to a hypothetical, developing country as “Country X.”
It is absolutely pivotal to establish a proper education system in Country X to facilitate and provide its citizens with the necessary knowledge and means to progress in our ever-changing world.
It is absolutely pivotal to establish a proper health care system wherein society as a whole has access to basic medical needs such as vaccinations, basic pain, cold, and allergy medications, access to a doctor, etc.
It is absolutely pivotal to establish a proper, well-functioning and easily maintained clean water system; necessities include, but are not limited to, potable water to drink and cook with, clean showering conditions, a well-established, bona fide sewage network, etc.
It is absolutely pivotal to establish a proper set of rights and freedoms that lay out the basis for a life free from hardship, discrimination, oppression, and promote one’s freedom of opinion and expression, right to life and liberty, and right to work and education (UN, Human Rights).
But now what happens to all of these pivotal pillars if our suddenly alluring Country X is ravaged by, say, a tsunami, or a hurricane, or a drought, or any other cataclysmic disaster? The obvious answer is to send emergency response teams to help provide aid and resources to Country X in an attempt to cope with the disaster and to rebuild that which was damaged or destroyed. The less obvious answer is to educate Country X’s citizens, children in particular, in areas of Disaster Risk Reduction, Disaster Preparedness, and Climate Change Adaptation. Let’s examine an example where this may be applicable:
A village in Indonesia called Nusa Tenggara Timur is prone to 8-month drought periods. As a result, the water is limited two-fold: for actual consumption by the village, and for irrigating their breadfruit trees which are a key source of food for the village. Village farmers note that during this 8-month drought period, it becomes increasingly difficult to allocate exceedingly scarce water resources to water the trees as this gravely limits the amount of water available for the villagers to physically drink. Furthermore, the location of the village’s main water source and the location of where they grow their trees are not in close proximity. So, it becomes an even grander task to constantly go back and forth from the water source to the plantation on top of the various other daily tasks that are on the villagers’ agendas.
Here is where Disaster Preparedness comes in. PLAN Indonesia has helped this village learn and implement a form of drip irrigation that requires minimal maintenance and attention, which becomes extremely convenient during times of drought. The system consists of a one-meter long bamboo tube with small holes near its base. This tube is then placed about one foot into the soil nestled against the tree and water then only flows out of the tube and into the soil as the tree needs it. This eliminates the chance for over-irrigation and as the villagers note, “[by using the] infuse system, we only fetch water once a month and fill it in the bamboo tube and our trees can grow more fertile, rather than watering trees each day especially during dry season.”
This kind of intervention is just one way in which we can teach resilience and adaptation in areas where current emergency response methods may not always be the most effective or cost efficient tackling climate emergencies abroad. Now, it’s one thing to educate adults about the various risks associated with climate change, but to educate youth about the various risks and teach them real life practices to apply this knowledge will prepare them for any unforeseeable emergencies. Youth are often omitted from decision-making within their community because they simply don’t know how to contribute to the discussion. Furthermore, when they do try to contribute, adults will brush their ideas aside for being “juvenile” or “premature”. However, youth empowerment is so important to ensure their stake in the future is held with a firm and confident grasp. PLAN International actively advocates and practices two disaster-related programmes called the Child-Centered Climate Change Adaptation (4CA) Programme and the Safe Schools Global Programme. Click the links to learn more about these two really cool initiatives!
Many will argue that the focus should be on protecting youth from the challenges of climate
change rather than involving them in dealing with a problem that they did not directly contribute to. But they’re missing the point – by being able to take up an active, meaningful role in the face of adversity, youth can gain a kind of psychological protection, helping them feel more in control, more hopeful, and more resilient. Taking this stance one step further, supporting youth today to explore these issues builds a culture of safety and empowers them to be agents of sustainable development.
We take quite a bit for granted. For those of us living in well-developed areas (i.e. major cities, 1st-world countries, etc.), what are some fundamental differences between where we live and areas that are much more frequently affected by climate disasters? I’m not asking for a debate on mercantilism or colonialism or why 1st-world countries are 1st-world countries and why 3rd-world countries are 3rd-world countries. What fundamental differences exist between, say, Norway and Chad? See below:
Geographically, regions closer to the equator are naturally more susceptible to climate disasters, especially with the prevalence of climate change. So, building and maintaining infrastructure in these emergency-prone regions is so difficult to accomplish with the constant need to respond to emergencies and the lacking effort placed on establishing efficient and sustainable processes and practices. This is not to say that we should reduce current monetary spending abroad for foreign aid, but rather that we can supply aid in new and innovative ways that reduce the risks for disaster and teach valuable skills associated with resilience and adaptation because the world is not going to stop changing.
As youth, it is our responsibility to educate and teach adequate risk reduction, preparedness, and develop the skills needed to “adapt.”
Written by: Zeyad Elsalhy
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