International aid agency, Save the Children, has today called for a dramatic shake up in dealing with natural disasters linked to climate change.

The agency's latest report, In the Face of Disaster - Children and Climate Change, says that governments, international organisations and aid agencies must change their tactics and prepare for natural disasters rather than just responding to them. They must invest now to prepare in advance for the increase in the number and severity of disasters that climate change will bring. It is too late to concentrate solely on reducing carbon emissions - climate change is already having an impact. Now is the time to plan for disasters before they happen to reduce the damage they cause to the lives of vulnerable children and their families.

It is estimated that every $1 spent on preparing for a disaster can prevent $7 of losses. If all the countries that give money to humanitarian assistance invested an additional 10% of the approximately $10 billion they spend on responding to disasters on preparation, they could prevent $7 billion of losses. Enough to respond to five tsunamis.

Charlotte Petri Gornitzka, Secretary General of the International Save the Children Alliance, said "Climate change has moved the goal posts for responding to emergencies and we, as the international community, must adapt. Investing in preparing for disasters now will not only save millions of pounds in the long run - it will save lives. Now is the time to think big."

In a previous report in its climate change series published last year, Save the Children said that 50% of those affected by natural disasters were children and estimated that up to 175 million children every year are likely to be affected by the kinds of natural disasters brought about by climate change.

Petri Gornitzka continued: "It is difficult to predict exactly when and where disasters will strike, but we know which countries are vulnerable and there are many ways that we can plan for disasters. We know the areas where disasters recur, like the flood-prone deltas of Bangladesh, the arid drought-affected Sahel region of West Africa, the volatile Pacific Rim. Instead of playing catch up with climate change and waiting for disaster to strike, the international community should invest now in projects that will reduce the devastating impact of the natural disasters that climate change will bring."

Recent events have highlighted the difference that investing in preparation can make. In Bangladesh in November 2007, thousands of volunteers that were part of the country's cyclone preparedness programme mobilised to evacuate people living in the path of Cyclone Sidr. The rapid response was responsible for saving tens of thousands of lives - Fewer than 4,000 people died in 2007, compared to 140,000 in a similar scale cyclone in 1991.

The experience of Bangladesh contrasts strongly with Myanmar (Burma) in May 2008, where there was very little preparation for disaster, and Cyclone Nargis was responsible for a much higher death toll.

The projects that should be funded to prepare for disasters includes everything from planting mangrove trees, to building disaster resistant public buildings, making clear evacuation routes or setting up early warning systems. These projects, known as Disaster Risk Reduction, should involve everyone, including children living in villages, governments and international organisations.

168 countries have already reached an agreement on the need for disaster risk reduction work to take place at local, national, regional and international levels. This agreement, called the Hyogo Framework, was developed in 2005 but Save the Children is concerned that those involved are yet to deliver on their commitments.

Save the Children recommends:
• Donors should commit the equivalent of an additional 10% of the money they currently spend on disaster response to preparing for disasters.
• The countries who adopted the Hyogo framework should make good on their commitments to it and report back on the progress they are making.
• Children who live in disaster-prone areas should be taught about how to respond to emergencies and should be involved in all levels of disaster risk reduction projects in their communities.

ENDS

Notes to Editors
• Save the Children's report Children and Climate Change: In the Face of Disasters is available here here or, from Save the Children UK's Media Unit on +44 (0) 20 7012 6841 or out of hours on +44 (0)7831 650 409. Alternatively you can email media@savethechildren.org.uk

• The UN co-ordinated needs assessment for the tsunami stated that $1.4 billion was needed to fulfil the funding requirements for aid agencies and the UN - source Reliefweb financial tracking system, www.reliefweb.int.fts

• Save the Children is the world's largest independent organisation for children, making a difference to children's lives in over 120 countries. From emergency relief to long-term development, Save the Children helps children to achieve a happy, healthy and secure childhood. Save the Children listens to children, involves children and ensures their views are taken into account. Save the Children secures and protects children's rights - to food, shelter, health care, education and freedom from violence, abuse and exploitation.