Christian Aid is launching Disaster Watch - an online game for children that shows them how to limit damage to a local community when disaster strikes. See the game at www.globalgang.org.uk/disasterwatch.

The game is introduced by Felipe, an animated Global Gang member from Nicaragua, who guides players through the different disasters his virtual community may face - food shortages, earthquakes and floods.

The challenges in the game have to be overcome in three steps:

1. explore the village for clues that indicate which disaster is impending

2. prepare for the disaster by completing tasks such as making your classroom as quake-proof as possible; protecting your crops from rodents and soil erosion, and building flood walls along river banks while scaring off loggers who cut down trees, thus increasing the risk of soil erosion and mudslides

3. react fast when the disaster strikes: moving children to safety; warning people in houses at risk when flood-waters are rising, and delivering food to people who are hungry.

After each level you get a score subtotal and a bonus for fast work. At the end of the game players can add their final score to a top 10 players' league. They are also invited to read real-life stories featuring children from poor countries who have survived disastersor are involved in Christian Aid-funded projects that help them prepare for disastersand reduceing their impact.

Global Gang Editor, Sophie Shirt, says: 'News reports often present those affected by disaster as helpless victims. What Disaster Watch aims to teach children is that preventative measures can limit the impact of a disaster on poor communities. It also challenges stereotypes and shows that poor communities can be struck by food shortages and flood, as well as disasters like earthquakes, within a short space of time.

'The stories and information following the game start to make connections between climate change and the increase in 'natural' disasters. Ultimately we want children in the UK and Ireland to realise that poor people are suffering as a result of the hefty contribution we are making to climate change, and to do something about it.'

Visitors to Christian Aid's global eco-house at this year's Grand Designs Show (6-8 October) in Birmingham will be able to play the game while discovering how people from around the world are preparing for disasters and the effects of climate change. • Visit the eco-house online

The eco-house features homes from the UK, Honduras, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Kenya, inspiring people to adopt eco-friendly lifestyles and curb their carbon emissions.

Globalgang.org.uk is full of stories and web clips of children's lives all over the world. The site also offers homework help, real-life stories and educational and entertaining games.

For further information or images contact Kati Dshedshorov on 020 7523 2452, kdshedshorov@christian-aid.org

1. The game is available for previews at www.globalgang.org.uk/disasterwatch. It was developed by production company Playerthree in association with Christian Aid's design team.

2. Global Gang's online educational games make learning fun. The site aims to encourage children to see themselves as active members of a global community and illustrates how, when it comes to poverty, there is no 'us and them' - we're all part of one big Global Gang. It is for children aged approximately 8-12 and is run by Christian Aid.

3. Christian Aid is an international development agency. It works with some of the poorest communities helping people irrespective of race, religion, culture or background, exposing the scandal of poverty and injustice. Christian Aid has nearly 600 partner organisations in over 50 countries worldwide.

Delicio.us  |   Digg  |   NewsVine  |   Reddit