It is estimated that every year in the next decade 175 million children will be affected globally by sudden climate-related disasters and that they will be at increased risk from infectious disease, malnutrition, water scarcity, disasters, and the collapse of public services and infrastructure. If climate change goes unchecked, it could cause up to an additional quarter of a million child deaths in South Asia alone. Plan’s research on impact of climate change on children in Nepal shows that children are particularly vulnerable to the long-term impacts of disasters and climate change: they are at considerable risk of violence and abuse through displacement and migration, they may lose family members, drop out of school, lose their homes and/or are forced into the worst forms of child labour. Children are more susceptible to the adverse effects of climate change, because of their physical, cognitive and physiological immaturity. Plan Nepal is implementing Child Centred Climate Change Adaptation (4CA) project in partnership with FORWARD Nepal, a national NGO working in Sunsari and Morang. Plan Switzerland through OAK foundation Switzerland has provided the financial support to this project. The project has goal of “Safe and resilient communities in which children and young people contribute to managing and reducing the risks associated with changes in the climate”. The specific objectives are as bellow; • To increased awareness and capacity of children, youth and communities of climate change and related disasters, so that they can facilitate child-centred climate change adaptation (4CA) processes, • To develop and implement locally appropriate climate smart solutions that incorporate and demonstrate the 4CA model, • To advocate for the inclusion of good practices and learning from the 4CA program approach in local, district and/or national government and regional processes. The project considered children and youth as major pillar of the program. Participation, diversity and child protection are the cross cutting issues of the project. The activities of the project will be implemented for supporting to the Flagship 4, program for disaster management; community based integrated disaster risk management program and National Adaptation Plan for Action (NAPA). The project will be fallowed the Local Disaster Risk Management Planning (LDRMP) Guideline and Local Adaptation Program of Action (LAPA) manual as a guideline. The activities of the project will be carried out with close coordination and collaboration of concern line agencies and stakeholders. The project aims to reach to 22,400 people as direct beneficiaries and 165,000 as indirect beneficiaries. Same as 186 different institutions will involve in the activities of the project and get benefit.
