Climate extremes and child rights in South Asia: a neglected priority

This project briefing presents the findings and policy implications of a study conducted by Plan International about the perception and experience of climate extremes and disasters by girls and boys in South Asia, who must receive greater priority in measures to respond to disasters and in disaster risk reduction planning. By helping this process and highlighting specific priority areas for policy, this paper intends to complement initiatives from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation’s Framework for Care, Protection and Participation of Children in Disasters (SAARC, 2011), which recognises the different needs of girls and boys of varying age groups; and the ‘Step Up Campaign’ for Disasters Resilience, developed by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), which prioritised children for the 2011 International Day for Disaster Reduction, and women and girls for 2012.