Highlighting the aspects of sound physical and mental health of the children, speakers at a meeting unequivocally called for freeing them from all sorts of risks for their proper physical and mental development.

Always the children should be given scopes of flourishing their creativity so that they can be built themselves competent to face any challenge whenever and wherever they face in the days to come.

The discussants came up with the observation while addressing a daylong training on ‘Child-Centred Disaster Risk Reduction (CC-DRR) Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC)-UNICEF Urban Initiative’ at RCC conference hall Wednesday.

RCC and UNICEF jointly hosted the training in association with Rajshahi City Disaster Management Committee aimed at ensuring children are put at the center of the Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) process.

The initiative can ensure their active participation in disaster risk reduction by allowing them to start the risk identification process while simultaneously validating their findings with adults.

Director General of the Directorate of Disaster Management Atiqul Haque addressed the meeting as chief guest with RCC Chief Health Officer Dr AFM Anzuman Ara Begum in the chair.

RCC Secretary Abu Hayat Rahmatullah, District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Aminul Haque and UNICEF Programme Officer Rowshan Rahman also spoke disseminating their expertise on the issue.

Atiqul Alam advocated for ward level awareness building for incorporating the child-centred risk reduction in the disaster management.

He also stressed the need for strengthening the inter-coordination of the disaster management committee besides participation of the children in the disaster management.

Alam told the meeting that CC-DRR is a process to strengthen the community’s resilience. Children become activists and mobilize the community through influencing individuals, peer groups, and other stakeholders towards the achievement of resilience in communities in times of disaster.

CC-DDR complements national action plans for children through empowering children and community as whole towards disaster risk reduction, he added.