Children’s participation in tree planting for watershed restoration and biodiversity

On September 26 and early October of 2009, the Philippines was hit by two successive typhoons -- Ondoy and Pepeng -- which severely affected over 9.3 million people and lost almost 1000 lives. Most of the affected were children.

Both TS Ondoy and TS Pepeng have left indelible impacts on children. There were also children among the fatalities. There were children crying out for help on their roofs and waiting desperately to be rescued during the back-to-back typhoons. The children’s already fragile health and education situation was further worsened during these disasters.

October has been declared Universal Children’s Day by the United Nations General Assembly in 1954. The UNISDR also declared Oct 13 as the International Day for Disaster Reduction, with focus on children and young people as partners for DRR.

In recognition of children’s rights, it is but necessary to mobilize the children on the preservation of the environment and the remaining biodiversity.

Children will be mobilized in the tree planting activity to be conducted in Antipolo City in order to protect the Marikina Watershed. This is also one way of educating the children that the de-forested Marikina Watershed is one of the causes of floods in Metro Manila, and that biodiversity can help mitigate disasters.