DIPECHO VI Awareness building workshop on children and young people are partners of DRR

The Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka are disaster prone areas as the coastal belts regularly face multitudinous natural hazards including tsunami. The area has been affected by geologically induced disasters such as tsunami, sea related disasters such as coastal erosion, saline water intrusion, wind related disasters such as storms, hurricanes, tornadoes and wind erosion; hydrological disasters such as floods and ground water depletion; forest related disasters such as deforestation and loss of biological diversity and wild animal attacks; land related disasters such as land degradation, droughts and famine, and atmospheric and climate change related disasters such as increased air temperature and sea water rise. Disaster Management Centre (DMC) under the Ministry of Disaster Management is the apex body to coordinate and implement disaster risk reduction in the country.

In four Districts in Northern and Eastern provinces, (Kilinochchi, Mannar, Batticaloe and Trincomalee) DMC is implementing Disaster Preparedness initiative - ECHO (DIPECHO VI) in collaboration with Oxfam GB and Practical Action with funding assistance from ECHO in order to build back better and reduce the impact of impending hazards/disasters. Most of the target communities under the project areas are the recent returnees from the IDP camps.

In the backdrop of the International Disaster Reduction Day, the DIPECHO VI Action Plan-Sri Lanka has taken the lead role to mobilize children and youths as partners in DRR.

This international Disaster Reduction Day celebration in Sri Lanka includes many features; at the community level where resettlement had took place some time ago - create awareness about the impending hazards/disaster in order to prepare for upcoming monsoon as well as to sensitize and encourage having discussions on disaster risk reduction. Youths as Community Based Facilitators (Trained under DIPECHO VI) are taking the leadership role for community mobilization and awareness building. At the district level in consultation with the Zonal Education Directors' Office, disaster management unit and the Government Agent Office, 20 schools each in Kilinochchi and Mannar have been selected to provide one day training and orientation on the National Guideline on School Disaster Safety. More than 80 teachers would participate representing both districts.

At the end of this orientation, teachers will also develop follow-up action plan to implement the guideline developed by Ministry of Education with National Institute of Education, Ministry of Disaster Management and DMC. Teachers would also facilitate sessions and other activities such as drawing/debate/voluntary work at school level. Partners such as Save the Children, Oxfam Australia and Handicap International are also joining hands to support this international event.

This also provide opportunities to all key stakeholders in DRR to encourage Children and Youths to take leadership and ownership in creating awareness as well as promote DRR practices. In this workshop, teachers and school management committees will be participating to discuss the National Guidelines for School Disaster Safety. Further, Selected schools would also celebrate the International Day on Disaster Reduction by encouraging school children to take the leadership role in creating awareness building on disaster risk reduction through activities including drawing/essay writing competition on Children and Youth as Partners in Disaster Risk Reduction: My Perspective.