36 
The Challenges of Climate Change: Children on the front line
a transformational effect. Recent
evidence in Ethiopia suggests, for
instance, that a holistic approach
to mobilizing women can yield
significant benefits for the entire
family. The ‘Self Help Group’
approach facilitates the coming
together of groups of between
15 and 20 women to support
each other, identify needs in their
community, save, and start small
businesses. The economic impact is
substantial, with benefits upwards
of $100 for every $1 spent. The
impact on children’s rights is also
significant – family members of
these groups eat three nutritious
meals a day, all their children are
sent to school, and the women
band together to prevent early
childhood marriage and other
harmful traditional practices.
20
20 Tearfund (2013).
Partnerships for change: A cost benefit
analysis of Self Help Groups in Ethiopia.
tearfund.org/en/resources/policy_and_research/food_
security/#sthash.sOQcgY6M.dpufhttp://tilz.tearfund.
org/~/media/files/tilz/research/partnerships%20for%20
change%20full%20report%20final%20oct%2031.pdf
There is certainly a strong
economic argument for scaling
up investment in child-focused
measures as an effective and long-
term response to climate change.
And holistic approaches, such as
the one described above, should
be ­pursued more widely and on
a larger scale so as to ensure that
children are at the heart of climate
change adaptation.
Table 2
: Examples of child-centred adaptation and disaster risk reduction interventions
Category
Examples of child-centred interventions
Education
Structural measures, for example retrofitting of schools to withstand impacts of
disasters and to improve access to schools (for example, routes to school raised above
flood levels)
Community funds targeted at school fees
Integration of disaster risk reduction/adaptation activities and environmental education
into school curriculum
Youth-led community risk mapping
School-based programmes such as early warning systems, gardening
Health
Community-based water management programmes, such as rainwater harvesting,
chlorination
Improved access to health services
Access to anti-malarial treatment and insecticide-treated mosquito nets
Household water treatment
Training on first aid, water, sanitation and hygiene
Draining stagnant water
Improved sanitation options
Mapping of water sources
Protection
and ­well-being
Community projects such as clearing drains to reduce waterlogging, raising of
embankments
Teaching children to swim, evacuation techniques
Tree planting
Advocacy training, programmes to give children and youth a voice
Social protection, psychological and social support
Safety net interventions to help prevent dislocation and exploitation of children
Engaging children in raising awareness through multimedia
Taken from: UNICEF UK and Plan International (2011),
The benefits of a child-centred approach to climate change adaptation
.
Available at:
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