The role of children and adolescents needs to be promoted in reducingrisks associated with disasters, heard a conference held in Hanoi onOct. 12 to commemorate the International Day for Disaster RiskReduction.
"We need to change public attitudes towardsthe roles of children and adolescents in the prevention and reduction ofdisasters, especially at the community level," said Nguyen Thi Ha,Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union.
Children's involvement in disaster management should be encouraged by adults, Ha said.
This year's event, themed "Step up for disaster risk reduction – Makingchildren and young people partners for disaster risk reduction," wasorganised by the Communist Youth Union and the Ministry of Agricultureand Rural Development.
Other organisers include non-governmental organisations such as Plan International and Save the Children.
The meeting drew hundreds of students from five secondary schools inHanoi and a group of Mong children from north-eastern Yen Bai provinceand central Quang Tri province.
In the meeting, theydiscussed what would happen if a disaster strikes their areas and waysto prepare for and reduce the risks of a disaster through short plays,songs, pictures and speeches.
"In order to prepare for andtimely cope with floods, we need to keep ourselves informed of theweather forecast and have alarms on radio or television," a Mong girlfrom Yen Bai said.
Representative of the United NationsChildren's Fund Lotta Sylwander said the Vietnamese government is nowwell aware of the risk of disasters facing the country.
One of Vietnam 's notable moves, she added, was its approval of theCommunity-based Disaster risk Management Programme in 2009.
Sylwander called for increased dialogue between State leaders andchildren and their commitments in following the Children's Charter forDisaster Risk Reduction, an action plan developed by internationalorganisations through consultation with hundreds of children in morethan 20 countries.
The charter addresses five priorities,including the preservation of schools' safety, the protection of themost vulnerable people and children during disasters and the promotionof children's access to information.
According to a recentreport providing a global review on disaster risk reduction issued inJuly by the United Nations and the agriculture ministry, the economiccosts caused by disasters have increased all over the world during thepast decade.
During the 1990-2009 period, there were 457deaths caused by disasters each year in Vietnam and the annual economiccost due to disasters was estimated to account for 1.3 percent of thecountry's GDP./.
"We need to change public attitudes towardsthe roles of children and adolescents in the prevention and reduction ofdisasters, especially at the community level," said Nguyen Thi Ha,Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union.
Children's involvement in disaster management should be encouraged by adults, Ha said.
This year's event, themed "Step up for disaster risk reduction – Makingchildren and young people partners for disaster risk reduction," wasorganised by the Communist Youth Union and the Ministry of Agricultureand Rural Development.
Other organisers include non-governmental organisations such as Plan International and Save the Children.
The meeting drew hundreds of students from five secondary schools inHanoi and a group of Mong children from north-eastern Yen Bai provinceand central Quang Tri province.
In the meeting, theydiscussed what would happen if a disaster strikes their areas and waysto prepare for and reduce the risks of a disaster through short plays,songs, pictures and speeches.
"In order to prepare for andtimely cope with floods, we need to keep ourselves informed of theweather forecast and have alarms on radio or television," a Mong girlfrom Yen Bai said.
Representative of the United NationsChildren's Fund Lotta Sylwander said the Vietnamese government is nowwell aware of the risk of disasters facing the country.
One of Vietnam 's notable moves, she added, was its approval of theCommunity-based Disaster risk Management Programme in 2009.
Sylwander called for increased dialogue between State leaders andchildren and their commitments in following the Children's Charter forDisaster Risk Reduction, an action plan developed by internationalorganisations through consultation with hundreds of children in morethan 20 countries.
The charter addresses five priorities,including the preservation of schools' safety, the protection of themost vulnerable people and children during disasters and the promotionof children's access to information.
According to a recentreport providing a global review on disaster risk reduction issued inJuly by the United Nations and the agriculture ministry, the economiccosts caused by disasters have increased all over the world during thepast decade.
During the 1990-2009 period, there were 457deaths caused by disasters each year in Vietnam and the annual economiccost due to disasters was estimated to account for 1.3 percent of thecountry's GDP./.
