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Introduction
Forest
fires, earthquakes, flash floods and landslides caused by heavy
monsoon rains are constant threats in mountainous areas. Yet when
a disaster hits, people in remote mountain communities have no fire
truck or ambulance to rush to the rescue. It may take hours, if
not days, for the government and relief organizations to reach.
At such times, the best hope for survival is for local communities
to be prepared and able to help each other.
Children
are among the most vulnerable victims of disasters, but they can
also be a powerful force in spreading messages of awareness and
helping their communities prepare for and deal with such situations.
This workshop attempted to carve out a role for children in disaster
mitigation, to inform and prepare them to help their communities
in times of disaster, and to promote interaction between the children
and the local government agencies working on disaster mitigation
and management.
The
workshop, which included 57 children from six districts in Uttarakhand
(Tehri, Uttarkashi, Nainital, Almora, Pithoragarh, and Chamoli),
took place in Pithoragarh, from May 20-24, 2005. Pithoragarh, which
borders Nepal and Tibet, is one of the most remote districts in
the state and also a region at very high risk for earthquakes.
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Purpose
of the workshop:
- Build
leadership skills among the children.
- Enable
children from different areas to work together and learn
from one another.
- Empower
children to take on the role of helping inform and lead
their communities.
- Create
awareness of natural disasters and the role of young people
in dealing with them.
- Through
the children, help communities prepare better for disasters
by providing information and resources.
- Facilitate
networking and communication among children and government
agencies about disaster mitigation.
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 Details:
This workshop was hosted by the Pithoragarh
MCF chapter and our partner NGO, ARPAN.
It was made possible by a grant from Lisle
Inc., through the kind offices of Sharada Nayak and the Educational
Resources Centre (ERC). The Uttarakhand
Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre provided expertise
and information. SBMA/Plan
also supported this workshop by providing transportation for children
from the more remote districts of Garhwal. The participants stayed
in the Pithoragarh Tourist Rest Home (TRC), with sessions conducted
in the Public Works Department (PWD) hall.
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Read
about our follow-up disaster mitigation workshops Nainital
and Dehradun.
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