COUNTRY DIREC TO R S MESSAG E

A warm welcome to Plan Bangladeshs first issue of our bi-annual publication, Learning 4 Change. We are pleased to bring you this publication every six months to share our learning and evidence on issues affecting children in Bangladesh. This first issue focuses on disasters and climate change. Bangladesh is one of the most disaster prone countries in the world, frequently facing cyclones, tornados, tidal surges, floods, riverbank erosion, and drought. Climate change has made Bangladesh vulnerable to rising sea levels and to the increased frequency of extreme weather hazards, particularly in the south. Plan Bangladesh has been working on addressing disasters and climate change as one of its four programme areas since 2010. We are pleased to include in this issue of Learning 4 Change our multi-country collaboration with the UKs Overseas Development Institute focusing on the effect of climate extremes on child rights. We have also shared our learning from our successful disaster response using unconditional cash transfers following flooding in northern Bangladesh in July 2012, as well as our recommendations on supporting adolescent girls from the effect of climate change. This is particularly in tune with Plans upcoming sixth annual Because I am a Girl report titled Girls in Disasters. The Because I am a Girl campaign is aimed at reducing the barriers that stop girls from completing at least lower secondary education. Linked to this is an article sharing our experience on school safety, including the leadership role children can play this, through the child-centred DRR approach. I hope that through this initiative, programming on climate change and disasters will be improved so that more children can realize their rights, despite the calamities they may face. We hope that you will enjoy engaging with this publication as much as we have. Happy reading! Myrna Remata-Evora Country Director Plan Bangladesh

Advisor: Editor: Editorial Board: Edited by: Design: Photo Credit:

Myrna Remata Evora (Mingming) Elena Ahmed Tony Michael Gomes Shamim Ahsan Khan Iftekhar A Chaudhury Muntasir Mamun/Kewkradong Bangladesh Tony Michael Gomes Emdad Islam Bitu Bashir Ahmed Sujon Imamul Azam Shahi

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The links between climate change and disasters in South Asia, such as flooding in Pakistan or cyclones in Bangladesh, are increasingly evident. However, there is little recognition of the potentially life-long impact of climate change and related disasters on the wellbeing of the regions children. In a region that accounts for more than one quarter of the worlds children, with 614 million children under 18 (UNICEF, 2010), girls and boys must receive greater priority in measures to respond to disasters and in disaster risk reduction planning. Some positive examples are emerging, including the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperations 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. In addition, the Step Up Campaign for Disasters Resilience, developed by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) prioritised children for the 2011 International Day for Disaster Reduction, and women and girls for 2012. But these initiatives have yet to influence appropriate action at the local level. To help this process and to highlight specific priority areas for policy, Plan International has studied how girls and boys in South Asia perceive and experience climate extremes and disasters. This project briefing presents the findings and policy implications.|

children with disabilities and other marginalised groups. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used, including focus group discussions (FGD) with children; household surveys that focused on care-givers (rather than the head of the household); semistructured interviews with older children; and consultations with child rights agencies and decision-makers across government, the UN and civil society organisations (CSOs). The research captured the views of 3,421 children (1,722 girls and 1,699 boys), and 1,184 adults.

for their privacy and safety. Older boys spoke of staying on embankments, high ground and in shelters. In some Bangladeshi focus groups, both boys and girls aged 12 to 17 reported sexual and physical abuse by relatives following disasters. Girls and boys spoke about how these situations were affecting them, and how they felt unable to share these experiences with family or friends.

GRE ATER BURDENS O N CHILDREN IN THE HOUSEHOL D

POST-DISASTE R THRE ATS TO CHI L D WELL-BEING

Childrens first-hand accounts of their experience of recent climate-related disasters revealed challenges to their safety and protection. In Bangladesh, children from Jamuna Charlands reported physical abuse in evacuation shelters. Similarly, in Thatta, Pakistan, children spoke of being beaten by their parents while living in the 2010 flood disaster camps, while some told of being sent to beg for food and money. Children perceived abuse to be worse for disabled children regardless of their sex, and spoke of how senior family members displaced by climate-related disasters were highly stressed. More extreme accounts reported children going missing in the camps and a widespread fear among children that they would be kidnapped. Children who had taken refuge in the homes of relatives or family friends also voiced concerns. In Bagerhat and other regions of Bangladesh children reported feeling neglected, being verbally abused or not being given food. Older girls (12-17 years) reported staying at neighbours or friends houses rather than shelter facilities amid fears

Bangladeshi girl from an urban slum in Gazipur District taking part in 12-17 year olds FGD.

Girls cannot go out that much during the floods. Because bad men try to touch them intentionally. Then girls come home and cry, but cannot complain to anybody.

ME THODOLO G Y
Plan Internationals 2012 research, in partnership with regional research organisations, took place in sites across Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka that represented diverse micro-climatic zones and ecosystems, covering a total of 104 villages in 39 districts. Researchers consulted girls and boys of different ages,

Other children shared their experiences of staying at home during limate-related disasters. For many children, as for Bangladeshi girls aged 6 to 11 from Barind Tract, their own families were cited as the main source of protection. In contrast, Pakistani children and youth from Nowshera said that they did not feel safe in their own houses during the 2010 flooding. Older Bangladeshi girls, aged 12 to 17, and their younger siblings from the flood plains of Shariatpur concurred, sharing their frustrations at being confined in their homes after disasters. Children who remained in their homes in both instances recalled their disaster experiences as traumatising and, in many cases, reported that no special disaster relief provisions were made accessible to them.

A mother from Tharparker, Pakistan. While humanitarian interventions recognise the need to support disaster-affected livelihoods and assets, there is little recognition of the contribution of girls and boys to household income. After the 2010 Pakistan floods, children from Nowshera reported the impact of flood damage, loss of income and rising prices on their households standard of living. Post-disaster poverty and lack of economic opportunities were seen as fuelling child begging and the kidnapping of children for ransom.

Our children labour with us. They weave carpets; make bricks on brick-kilns, graze cattle and harvest crops. We know they should instead be going to schools. But we cannot help them, for we are very poor.

In Nepal, children reported that frequent droughts increased their workload within the home, as well as child labour, early marriage and child trafficking. Bangladeshi boys from Bagerhat reported being unable to attend school as they had to work to support the household; often in risky jobs such as manual labour or rickshaw driving, which left them stressed and depressed. In Kashinghar Muhallah, Thatta District in Pakistan, a group of adolescent girls from an urban community reported extreme coping strategies that were exacerbated in times of disaster, including being forced to sing and dance at private parties, and even into prostitution. The girls also reported harassment and people misbehaving with them.

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Some children highlighted child labour resulting from the pressure of climate-related disasters on vulnerable households. In Pakistan, child labour was reported extensively across the districts of Muzafargarh, Hunza and Quetta. In the district of Thatta, children from communities displaced by the 2010 floods told of contributing to their household income by selling popcorn and peanuts in winter and balloons in summer, as well as working as domestic servants. Children also reported working as water vendors, transporting cans of drinking water on donkey carts, often for more than 16 hours a day. Some children reported that food shortages following the floods were among the factors pushing people to train their children to beg on the streets and even, in some instances, to force boys to sell drugs.

UTILIZATION OF C AS H TR ANSFE R
A recurring and increasing trend identified through the research was the departure of caregivers from their households in search of work. In Nepal, for example, 75% of households surveyed had at least one family member working abroad for a given period each year. The village surveys in Sri Lanka found that 15-20% of parental caregivers had gone abroad for work, because of the lack of opportunities at home as a result of poor harvests, climate-related disaster losses and overwhelming poverty. In many instances, caregivers left without ensuring adequate protection for children. In a few cases in Sri Lanka both parents had left children under the care of another family member, and accounts told of abandoned children being increasingly at risk of harm and abuse. Specifically, Sri Lankan children reported that girls and boys have become victims of domestic violence associated with carers alcoholism and drug abuse. The experiences shared by children and their caregivers outline the complexity of climate risks in relation to existing poverty and vulnerability. In particular, the study reveals the growing trend of climate economic migrants and the repercussions on inter-generational poverty and socio-economic dynamics with growing numbers of girls and boys in South Asia at risk of infringements to their rights and protection. sector plans in the region, the challenges of gender parity and quality education remain (Plan International, 2007, 2012; UNESCO 2012). Findings from the Nepal research suggest that climate-related disasters are having a direct impact on childrens education, creating additional barriers to accessing and staying in school, as well as to the quality of schooling. There were reports from Nepalese children of schools being used as shelters, hampering regular schooling; of collapsed roads and bridges forcing children to walk further to reach school or deterring them completely; of damage to electricity cables making it difficult to study at night; of tin roofs making classrooms exceptionally noisy during heavy rains, disrupting lessons and concentration; and of school books and equipment being often soaked and damaged in classes exposed to bad weather. The increased hardship and poverty linked to recurrent climate-related disasters was also identified as limiting the ability of parents to pay for childrens education, whether in the form of school fees or the hidden costs of replacing damaged uniforms and school supplies. Both Nepalese girls and boys reported that when post-disaster hardships force their parents to make trade-offs, it is usually girls who are withdrawn from schools. In Bangladesh, children estimated they miss over two months of education annually because schools are inaccessible during monsoon seasons. In the hills and in Tarai, Nepal, respondents felt that children would often miss over half of the school-terms annually as a result of a combination of poverty and socio-cultural norms exacerbated by climate-related disasters. Pakistani children from Gulmit reported schools staying closed for six months after the 2010 Attabad landslide disaster, as school buildings became refugee camps. In both Pakistan and Bangladesh, children believed one reason for the female student drop-out rate was that the floods made school routes inaccessible or alternative routes too dangerous with parental concerns for the safety and protection of their daughters taking priority over their education.

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Nepalese girl from Babiya.

During and immediately after disaster, we, along with our elders, are forced to engage in daily wage labour to earn some money in and outside our home. We also have to face the offensive and sexual looks of the landowners and other men who employ us to do on- and off-farm labour work. The way they treat us is also a form of abuse. We sometimes think that if our guardians were at home, we would never experience such inhuman behaviour.

GRE ATER BARRIERS T O EDUC ATI O N

Education is a key intervention that promotes childrens protection and development. While there has been certain progress in integrating disaster risk reduction into national education

15-year-old Nepalese girl from Sindhuli Many reported that during periods when children could not attend school they would take up temporary or permanent employment; and the longer their absence from school, the more likely their full drop-out. Pakistani children reported local youth loading and unloading trucks from China after the 2010 floods, and that many did not return to school when it became possible to do so.

Last monsoon, two girls drowned in Kamala River while returning home from school. It doesnt rain often, but whenever it does rain, the intensity is so high that there is heavy flooding. The need to cross the river to go to school coupled with the inability of girls to swim puts our very survival at risk.

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POLICY IMPLIC ATIONS

Children in the studies perceived that their role in their families is changing because of a growing number of inter-related risks that put unprecedented pressure on their households. Many of these are linked to shocks and stresses resulting from climate extremes. These risks are likely to be exacerbated as South Asia is expected to experience increased extreme climate and weather events in the coming decades (CDKN, 2012). Yet, despite the likely intensification of risks in the five countries studied, Plan International finds little progress at national and subnational levels to protect children from risks exacerbated during emergencies. This is particularly the case in regards to their abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence following a disaster. There is a clear need to secure safety-nets and services that provide for children who have been separated from their families, and that address physical danger and harm, psychosocial distress, sexual exploitation and abuse, gender-based violence and interrupted education in post-emergency settings (IASC, 2011). The following recommendations seek to address these challenges and to prioritise child rights in disasters and climate change policy across South Asia. South Asias regional and national climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk management (DRM) policies, programming and funding must address inter-connected disaster and climate threats to child rights. Interventions to strengthen community resilience to climate risks must also strengthen household and community safety-nets that protect girls and boys from harm, abuse and neglect and that, in turn, safeguard their right to reach their full potential. Regional and national policies and programming for CCA and DRM need to conduct more detailed disaggregated analysis of risks and vulnerability to respond to differentiated needs. This includes more financial resources to better document disaster impact by age and sex, and for appropriate DRM and adaptation interventions that consider the rights of girls and boys, as well as approaches that promote gender equality. SAARCs Framework for Care, Protection and Participation of Children in Disasters should be adopted at nationaland sub-national levels, with South Asian governments institutionalising and investing in mechanisms to roll-out, monitor and evaluate its ten priorities for action. In designing DRM and adaptation policies, South Asian decision-makers must provide appropriate spaces for girls and boys to contribute to the identification of risks and the development of action plans for a climatecompatible future that takes the rights and well-being of the most vulnerable children into account. South Asias national adaptation and education policies must support greater resilience of education services to ensure that childrens access to and quality of learning are not hampered by climate extremes through safe schools and education in emergencies programming. South Asias governments must empower future generations to better understand the causes and consequences of evolving climate risks as relevant to their local context, through formal and non-formal learning. This can support the effective transfer of adaptation skills, knowledge and resources to those on the frontline of evolving risks.
This piece was originally published in the Project Briefing No 78 October 2012, Overseas Development Institute, London.

REFERENCES AND PROJEC T INFORMATION

CDKN (2012) Managing Climate Extremes and Disasters in Asia: Lessons from the IPCC SREX Report. London: Climate and Development Knowledge Network http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Les sons-fromthe-IPCC-SREX-report-for-Asia.pdf IASC (2011) Operational Guidelines on the Protection of Persons In Situations of Natural Disasters and other guidelines from the Child Protection cluster. Geneva: Inter-Agency Standing Committee http://cpwg.net/ SAARC (2011) Framework for Care, Protection and Participation of Children in Disasters. Kathmandu: South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Plan International (2007) Because I am a Girl: The State of the Worlds Girls. London: Plan International Plan International (2012) Because I am a Girl: Learning for life. London: Plan International UNESCO (2012) Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2012: Youth and skills: Putting education to work. Paris: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNICEF (2010) State of the Worlds Children Report 2010 (Statistical Annex). New York http://www.unicef.org/ rightsite/sowc/statistics.php

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This report is based on research carried out by Plan International country offices in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka with the following research partners: Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS); CTRAN Consulting India; National Disaster Risk Reduction Centre - Nepal; Rural Development Policy Institute Pakistan; Environmental Impact Assessment Team - Sri Lanka. Financial support was provided by Plan Asia Regional Office, and Plans national offices in Australia, Norway, Sweden and UK.

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INTRODUC TION
The gender dimension of climate change is gaining a greater profile in the global debate. Evidences from Bangladesh show that increased climate stress is exposing a growing number of girls and young women to very specific risks. More girls and women are dying during disasters, an increasing number are enduring early and forced marriages, and more girls are being exposed to sexual violence and the curtailment of their education. This paper demonstrates not only how climate change disproportionately affects girls, particularly adolescent girls, but also how girls agency is crucial for tackling future challenges of climate change adaptation. Acknowledging women and girls as vulnerable groups is not enough. Planners need to allocate climate change adaptation funding to enable girls to be effective agents of change. Signatories to the UNFCCC have acknowledged the impact of climate change on vulnerable groups, yet what this means for some of the worlds most at risk groups in particular fulfilling the rights and needs of adolescent girls is barely acknowledged in policies being developed to tackle climate change.
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recognise the different ways in which girls and boys are affected by climate change are exacerbating pre-existing gender inequalities and failing to tackle one of the root causes of vulnerability to climate risk.

THE RESE ARCH IN BANGLADESH

The impact of climate change is often perceived to be nondiscriminatory, affecting everyone. In reality, climate change accentuates inequalities, in particular gender inequality. Compared to men and boys, women and girls are differently and disproportionately affected by the consequences of climate change. Evidences collected for this research will go on to show that women and girls are being increasingly affected by climate risks. Unless policy-makers acknowledge how gender, poverty and climate change are interrelated and how climate change can aggravate existing inequalities, they will fail to support the most vulnerable. The rights of adolescent girls in particular will be jeopardized and policy-makers will miss the opportunity to redress inequalities through climate change adaptation strategies. This paper is based on a primary research conducted in 2010 by Plan International with a small sample of girls aged 13 to 18 years in flood and cyclone prone areas of Barguna, Bangladesh. The girls discussed the consequences of climate change on their lives, highlighted the contributions they were making to minimizing disaster risks in their homes and communities and the possible solutions they were offering to the growing challenges they are now facing due to changes in weather patterns. They are engaged in Plan Internationals programme to reduce disaster risk

through a child centred approach. In-depth focus group discussions were held with adolescent girls living in the Barguna region of Bangladesh. Interviews were also held with representatives of local and national NGOs, including womens organisations, local government departments and representatives from climate-related departments of government, UN agencies, donor agencies as well as Plan staff. A detailed literature review of relevant country documents and reports was also conducted.

Girls in Bangladesh informed the research team that during floods, when wells are flooded, their workloads increase and they have to walk longer distances to collect clean drinking water. In the period following floods, storms or cyclones, they reported an increase in household work such as taking care of those left ill and injured, and looking after their siblings, given their parents extra responsibilities for restoring livelihoods. In the aftermath of disasters caused by floods and cyclones, many families are left in poverty, homeless or destitute due to loss of their crops, livestock and other family assets. Changing climate patterns such as rainfall variations may also mean less money coming in, resulting in girls being called on to contribute to the household income. They are often sent to work in domestic service, agriculture and garment factories while boys are more likely to be kept in school in the anticipation that they will go on to become the family breadwinner. The interviewees informed that following Cyclone Sidr in 2007, a significant proportion of girls in their schools migrated to the towns to work as domestic workers and in the garment industry. Most of them never returned to school. Other girls are forced into prostitution, particularly those from the poorest families and households headed by women. According to the Women s rights NGO Jagonari, it is estimated that there are around 300 prostitutes in Barguna:

TARGE TING ADOLESCENT GIRLS: PLANNING FOR RESILIENCE

Countries at risk need to recognise that vulnerability to climate change is exacerbated by lack of gender equality by social and institutional barriers that deny girls their rights and make it impossible for them to participate fully in society. In order to take effective action, planners and funders need to recognise the structural causes of vulnerability, to understand the different roles and responsibilities that underpin their communities and to use the skills of the entire population, including girls and young women. In several cases it has been found that if a mother goes out to work, it is the older daughters who are taken out of school to take her place at home. As climate shocks raise the income pressures on vulnerable households, girls work at home becomes more arduous and it becomes increasingly difficult for them to stay in school. This lack of education, a direct result of the impact of climate change on individual households, will have a detrimental effect on the rest of their lives.

Ensuring that adolescent girls have access to relevant quality education is a major priority for the climate change agenda. Better educated adolescent girls who have the support of those around them to realise their rights are more likely to challenge gender discrimination. They are also more likely to complete their education, find paid work, support the education of their own children and potentially build more resilient families. This in turn will help to reduce vulnerability to disaster and climate risks. Quality education, which also fosters a better understanding and knowledge of climate change and its impact on our social and economic lives, is one of the strongest forms of climate insurance. Programmes and policies that do not

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Due to poverty, families are breaking up. Often there is no choice for the girls than to become sex workers.

BEC AUSE I AM A GIRL BE ARING THE BRUNT

Abu Kamaluddin of CDMP pointed out that Girls are suffering and climate change puts more stress on them. During disasters, girls suffer several types of abuse. On the way to the shelter they may get attacked and in a cyclone shelter they may have to stay with men in the same room. Existing inequalities and the lack of opportunity for girls inherent in family and community life mean that a large number of adolescent girls may find that their ability to protect themselves is limited. Their susceptibility to different types of abuse increases once disasters strike. Due to their lower status in the family, they are generally the first to suffer during food shortages, as girls often eat last or less in their households. Girls may have been overprotected, kept at home and therefore are less likely to understand early warning systems or have life-saving skills such as first aid, swimming or tree climbing which in many at-risk countries are not deemed suitable for girls. Research indicates that in post-disaster situations, women and girls are more likely to experience violence, including sexual violence.
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addition, girls in desperate circumstances are sometimes forced to resort to prostitution for food and survival, which together with trauma and social exclusion can lead to risks of sexually transmitted infections including HIV. In Bangladesh, girls and NGOs reported sexual abuse in shelters as a major challenge both in rural and urban areas. South Asia Partnership (SAP), Plans partner in Barguna noted: After disasters, children, especially adolescent girls, are the most vulnerable as they are most susceptible to sexual abuse and harassment. Jagonari pointed out, Girls are often harassed, they have no economic power, no voice and often these incidents are hidden by them and their families. And there is also no structured system for reporting abuse. Girls who have experienced sexual abuse or rape are often seen as an embarrassment to their families. The Ministry of Women, Children & Youth Affairs office in Barguna district admitted that the rate of abuse was high, especially in this coastal belt because of poverty and disasters. Zinnat Afroze of Plan noted: Shelters are risky for girls. And when parents die or become separated, girls are at risk. Post disasters are always chaotic and fertile times for abuse. Cyclone shelters do not usually provide separate dormitory rooms for men and women, nor access to separate safe sanitation facilities increasing girls exposure to potential harm. Interviews with NGOs in Bangladesh also produced anecdotal evidence of the increase in child trafficking as a result of climate-induced disasters. SAP in Barguna reported an increase in the number of Bangladeshi girls and boys trafficked during times of floods and cyclones: The

dimension migration which creates its own problems such as trafficking. After Cylones Sidr and Aila, there was a lot more trafficking due to economic problems. Its a crisis period after cyclones. Indeed most of the sex workers in Dhaka come from this part of Bangladesh.
E ARLY AND FORCED MARRIAGE AS A RESULT OF CLIMATE-INDUCED DISASTERS
Mahmuda, a 16 year old girl from Barguna informed the research team

For over-stretched families this means one less mouth to feed. Early and forced marriage limits a girls educational opportunities, and can severely affect her health and her overall wellbeing. Once married, girls are unlikely to continue at school. Instead, they are expected to take on marital duties in their new household, many under the guardianship of their in-laws. Early marriage increases the likelihood of early pregnancy. In developing countries, 1 out of every 7 girls marries before the age of 15 and between one-quarter to one-half of girls become mothers before the age of 18. Early pregnancy is the leading cause of death amongst 15-19 year old girls with those under 15 five times as likely to die during childbirth as those in their 20s. Bangladeshi girls consulted by Plan in this study reported that in the aftermath of Cyclone Sidr in 2007 the number of early marriages increased. A young girl from Barguna reported After cyclones, families think their condition is worse and send their daughters to get married. Almost 50% of girls drop out of education because of early marriage. In very remote villages, it is probably more 70 to 75%.

SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND CLIMATE-RELATED DISASTERS

In the aftermath of a disaster, girls are often more susceptible to sexual exploitation especially if they are separated from their parents or are left orphaned. In emergency situations, many girls face the danger of sexual abuse or rape when staying in temporary shelters, when using unsafe latrine facilities, or when collecting firewood and water. In

cyclones are creating another

evidence of a rise in early and forced marriage. As families struggle to survive, a growing number are resorting to tackling poverty through bride price. Even in cultures where normally the girls family provides a dowry, marriages are arranged through a broker who will negotiate a price. In effect, a growing number of girls are being sold to their future husbands.

I am interested in science and I want to be a maths or physics teacher. I want to be self sufficient and live without fear and superstition. I dont want to be a victim of early marriage. There is also emerging

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SHOULDERING THE RESPONSIBILIT Y: GLOBAL INFLUENCE, NATIONAL AC TIO N

There is an urgent need that girls should inform both global funding and strategies for adaptation. However, global policy-makers and donors, who dominate country level decision-making bodies determining climate change adaptation strategies, have yet to insist upon an effective gender analysis in the

technical and financial support being provided to countries planning for adaptation. The group of Least Developed Countries has prepared National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs). These are essential tools which analyse climate vulnerability and identify the priority adaptation projects which need international finance. However, in reviewing existing NAPAs for Bangladesh, the gap in addressing the needs of girls is evident. Bangladeshs national adaptation plan aims to: mainstream climate change in national, sectoral and spatial development planning and ensure that impacts on vulnerable groups and women are prioritised in plans. Yet converting this policy into practice at local level in at-risk communities such as Barguna, requires political will, adequate resourcing and consultation with girls and women themselves. To date, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) has approved 11 projects for Bangladesh totaling USD 39,250,565. But the gap between the impacts of climate change on adolescent girls and responses to address them remains large.
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available safe drinking water or making fuel wood more accessible or the road to the cyclone shelter more women friendly. There need to be education programmes for boys and girls on girls rights.
1. Greater access to quality education Plans child-centred DRR programme in Bangladesh has enabled girls to have the space to participate and voice their concerns on a number of issues including education, health and DRR. Since 2007, Plan supported both girls and boys to learn about the hazards, vulnerabilities and capacities in their communities. They developed the skills to effectively mobilize their community, with awareness-raising activities. This included encouraging those in authority to listen to girls and boys and provide them with the opportunity to take part in DRR planning and in decision-making. 2. Greater protection from gender-based violence Evidence shows that violence increases after disasters and that the increased risk is associated with gender inequality and the limited representation of women and girls in disaster responses. The development and humanitarian communities need to come together to address the specific rights and priorities of adolescent girls, and refrain from further marginalising them within the category of women and children. Specific interventions that seek to address risks of gender-based violence must be reinforced by climate adaptation programming.

3. Greater participation in climate change adaptation decision-making and risk reduction activities The girls interviewed in the research wanted to have their say and be heard regarding appropriate measures to support their safety and wellbeing in relation to climate risks. This includes the need to build the capacity of girls so that they can effectively contribute to adaptation planning and delivery. Legitimate, participatory spaces created for girls to contribute to inclusive Climate Change Adaption programmes and Post-Disaster Needs Assessments must be resourced. In projects facilitated by Plan, girls have already demonstrated their capacity to deliver valuable insight in both of these decision-making spaces.

funding for programmes directly addressing their needs. They should work with girls and womens rights organisations to assign gender responsive indicators for all NAPA projects, and enable adolescent girls to effectively contribute to decisionmaking on NAPA projects at local and national levels. Governments must move beyond the rhetorical categorisation of women and children as vulnerable groups, by adopting national climate change policies that include gender- and age-sensitive programming. They should ensure adolescent girls have improved access to education, training and awareness-raising on climate change adaptation, in line with existing international commitments. 2. Address gender inequality as a root cause of vulnerability to climate change Policy-makers determining national and international adaptation policy should ensure adolescent girls are able to participate in decision-making and political processes that affect them.

OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGES

The global debate on Climate Change Adaptation and the increased funding commitments being made, present an opportunity to realise climate-resilient development by addressing issues of social justice and gender inequality. 1. Prescribe gender-sensitive strategies for climate change adaptation International donors should ensure that national and global financing mechanisms for adaptation address the specific needs and rights of girls. They should require and facilitate greater integration between climate change adaptation, disaster risk management, and poverty reduction efforts. National governments should revise National Adaptation Strategies / National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs) to take into account the particular effects of climate change on adolescent girls and allocate adequate

GIRLS AS C ATALYSTS FOR CHANGE BEYOND VULNER ABILIT Y

Abu Kamal of CDMP said Girls

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are more vulnerable than boys in terms of climate change and so you need programmes aimed at them. You have to do it in an indirect way making

BACKGRO U N D
Bangladesh is regularly affected by disasters of varying proportions. Both the frequency and intensity of disasters induced by climate change are on the increase. According to the UN Global Assessment Report 2011, Bangladesh ranks 1st and 6th among 162 countries in terms of human exposure to floods and cyclones respectively. The Climate Change Vulnerability Index 2012 ranked Bangladesh 2nd in the world after Haiti. Geological and social features also make Bangladesh vulnerable to earthquake and tsunami due to active fault lines in the region. In late June 2012, Bangladesh was struck by disaster as floods severely damaged livelihoods of around 2 million people in 29 districts across the south eastern, central and north western parts of Bangladesh. Due to heavy monsoon rains in the hilly areas, water levels of the main rivers increased rapidly, which inundated large plain and char (riverine islands) lands and affected children, adolescents, women and men. Along with household assets, houses, crops, livestock, schools, roads, market places, tube wells and latrines were damaged. Due to flooding of houses, families, in most cases, had to leave their home and take shelter in the upper floor and rooftops of schools and other public buildings. It was also found that members of the affected families including children and women shifted to the road side in makeshift shelters that had inadequate water and no sanitation facilities and lacked safety and protection. In addition to this, the rain and flood triggered landslides in the south eastern districts of Chittagong, Coxs Bazar and Bandarban, which caused the deaths of 147 people in Bandarban district. The flash flood negatively impacted on the immediate food and income requirements of the affected people, especially the daily wage earners that included agricultural labourers, rickshaw/van pullers, mobile vendors as well as female headed households and households with disabled and elderly people. Members of these poor households who mostly depend on their working tools, assets and daily wages, could not purchase food and other essential non-food items from the market. Moreover, schools were closed and education of children was disrupted due to flooding or schools were used as temporary shelter for the displaced people. Water and sanitation facilities at schools were extensively damaged and water sources became contaminated. Children suffered due to displacement of their families and schooling was further disrupted due to damage of books and other education materials. Some incidences of diarrhea, skin diseases and fever were reported but there were no records of epidemics. Plan Bangladesh responded to the flash floods by distributing cash to the flood affected families in the north-western and south-eastern parts of the country. These areas were outside the normal working areas of Plan Bangladesh. Plans flood response programme was implemented by the following partner organizations: Eco Social Development Organisation (ESDO) in Kurigram and Gaibandha districts and Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) in Coxs Bazar district. Cash amounting 5,000 taka (approximately US$ 61) was given to each of the 7,000 families selected following a criteria over the course of 7 days to enable them to buy basic goods during the time of disaster. A total amount of BDT 35 million (US$ 428,947) was distributed among the affected families.

ASSESSMENT SURV E Y
Subsequently, a rapid assessment was conducted by Plans Monitoring, Evaluation and Research (MER) department to assess how cash was utilized by the beneficiaries and how effective was the rapid selection of beneficiaries. A major objective of Plans assessment was to draw all valuable lessons including challenges from the implementation of Plans flood response. The methodology of the assessment focused on household survey. It collected data from selected beneficiaries covering all the 18 Unions of seven Upazilas of Kurigram, Gaibandha and Cox s Bazar districts. The survey was conducted on 450 randomly selected beneficiary households. Data collection took place from 24 to 28 July 2012. To get information from the selected households, the household head or any knowledgeable person in the household was interviewed during the survey. Additionally, government officials at district and Upazila (sub district) level, representatives of Union Parishads (local government) and local elites were interviewed as key informants. For validation of collected information, some Focus Group Discussions (FGD) were conducted with the villagers. Plan Bangladesh aimed to select the poorest among the most affected households. Selection of beneficiaries was carried out with the help of local government, partners and members of Plans GO Team. The most affected upazilas (second lowest district of local government administration) were selected jointly by the partners and district officials based on the information of disaster affected unions available with the District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer (DRRO), media reports and Plan staffs rapid assessment. After identification of the most vulnerable upazilas, identification of the worst affected unions was made from the union level damage and loss reports. Plans GO team members in most cases accompanied the local partners during the selection process and validated the selection through their own field findings and cross checking with district and union officials, ensuring that the most affected households were selected for receiving cash transfers. A set of criteria was drawn up for beneficiary selection which also included preference for female headed households and households with two or more children.

FINDING S
Due to geographical constraints of delivering relief items physically, cash transfer proved to be much easier and practical to manage. More importantly, the recipients were very happy with it as they had the freedom to use the money for their own needs and preferences. There were no problems such as storage and movement of logistics and commodities except the necessity to ensure security of the cash. Police escorts were essential to manage the crowds of people at the distribution spots and also during transportation of cash. Smooth and successful implementation of Plans flood response programme was primarily due to full support received from the local administration. Close coordination and keeping all levels of local administration (district, upazila and union) informed and their involvement in the flood response programme process from the start ensured full cooperation and transparency in the distribution process (union officials quickly generated the beneficiaries list and provided support during the distribution process, the upazila officials assisted with the selection of the most affected unions,

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validated the beneficiaries list, arranged police presence, were present during the distribution and assisted in resolving issues arising on the ground and the district officials supported by providing treasury for safe keeping of the funds, police escort during transfer of funds and were present during the distribution). The relief was mostly distributed at the premises of Union Parishad offices or local schools as these places were convenient for the beneficiaries to come. Household heads of selected households were asked to come to the relief distribution places with a token that was provided to each beneficiary at the time of selection and in some areas they were told to bring their national identity cards for verification. Due to security reason and to avoid chaos the villagers were not informed beforehand about distribution of cash as relief. During cash distribution along with Plan and partner staff members, district and upazila level government officials, Chairmen and Members of Union Parishads, local elites and media representatives were present. The assessment revealed that selection of local partner organizations that had their work bases in the flood affected areas provided all the necessary advantages to Plan in implementing its flood response programme successfully outside Plans Program Unit areas. The local partner organizations could easily mobilize their staffs within hours to the response activities; their existing linkages with the local administration proved helpful to introduce Plan in the area and were able to arrange necessary logistics and local resources within a short notice.

UTILIZATION OF C A S H TR ANSF E R
The assessment revealed that cash disbursements played an important part in the recovery of families to bounce back from disaster by enabling them to buy basic goods for their survival or to overcome damage incurred on their living conditions. The following data with regard to use of cash was collected from the survey: 79% beneficiaries bought rice, 35% beneficiaries repaired their houses, 26% beneficiaries purchased essential clothes for their children and 20% beneficiaries repaid their previous loans. About the cash transfer, an old woman from Chakmarkul union of Cox s Bazar said This money from Plan is a blessing to me with which I will repair my damaged house and buy some food, clothes and cooking utensils as I have lost all of them. Similar feelings were also echoed by Salma Begum from Gazaria union of Gaibandha district and by an old woman from Begumganj union of Kurigram district. The survey asked questions to the beneficiaries soliciting their opinion on the preferred mode of assistance during flooding. Following were the opinion: 78% respondents were in favour of cash as this enabled them to buy essential necessities. Nevertheless, about 27% respondents talked about food items as preferred relief as sometimes they faced extreme difficulties in going to the market if the roads were severely damaged. In the FGD sessions some of the villagers mentioned that it is better to get food items as relief as they do not have to bribe the Chairmen and members of Union Parishads. From the socio-demographic background of the surveyed households it was found that agriculture (35%) and wage labour (34%) were the major occupations of household heads. About 17% households were female headed and 88% households had at least one child below 18 years of age. It also revealed that 81% households belonged to the poorest and poor category and 62% households were receiving financial assistance under different government safety net programmes. In assessing vulnerability of the households, it was found that about 94% households were affected by flood. 74% households reported that their houses were damaged and 46% households mentioned that their crops were washed away. beneficiaries to bring national identity cards were effective initiatives to avoid fake cases of duplication. Coordinating relief distribution was also a major challenge to avoid duplication. It was obvious that households which received assistance from other NGOs would divert cash to meet other household needs.

CONCLUSI O N
Plans mode of responding to disasters through the provision of cash transfers was quick and effective. Beneficiaries stated that this gave them the opportunity to buy essential goods, with the lions share of the cash being spent on food. 81 per cent of the selected households were picked from the poorest and poor household category in the affected areas. Thus, targeting was comparatively efficient. However, the assessment revealed the corruption issue, with 10% of the respondents stating that selection was not neutral and 7% stating that they had to pay bribes to local officials. Plan staff and partners, along with government partners were instrumental in the selection of households but covering the response area was too large to allow for 100% accurate targeting of households. This is a key lesson learned which Plan Bangladesh is addressing through reviewing its strategy for household selection for cash transfers.

FINDING S
Almost 90% of the respondents were satisfied with the beneficiary selection process. The remaining respondents reported that Chairmen and members of Union Parishads were not impartial in selecting the beneficiaries. In a group discussion, some villagers stated that the selection would have been fair if Plan could do it alone and all by itself through household visit. Among these respondents about 7% reported that they had to pay bribes to the UP Chairmen and members and community police to get selected as beneficiary and on average they had to pay 1,826 taka as bribe. Members of Plan International and partner organizations pointed out that it was quite challenging to identify the targeted beneficiaries in a short period of time. As a result, they had to rely on the Chairmen and members of Union Parishads and could not validate with the people in the community. Additionally, when the entire area was affected it was very difficult to decide about beneficiaries with limited resources. Introducing token cards and asking

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INTRODUC TION
Disasters of various types affect Bangladesh on a regular basis causing loss of lives and destruction of properties. River erosion is one of the major types of disasters in Bangladesh that has been playing havoc with the lives and livelihood of poor and marginalized people of Bangladesh. Every year thousands of people living in the river banks are rendered homeless as a result of river erosion. People are displaced on a large scale and seek settlement in khasland or embankments or squatter in roadsides. If people are lucky and find time before evacuation they try to save their house by tearing up the roof and fences and take away their valuable belongings including poultry and livestock, grain, clothes, furniture and household utensils. River erosion devours large chunks of land, agricultural land, houses, schools, etc. River erosion by destroying the local economy disrupts livelihood of the poor people residing in the river banks, forcing them to abandon their home and seek refuge in a safer place. Erosion seriously disrupts school education. Consequences of such disruptions are disastrous in the lives of school children as their education stops suddenly. Not only education comes to a halt, many children eventually dropout as the school ceases to exist and become engaged in various jobs either as family help or in menial labour outside. Such consequences although not desirable are not always easy to avoid. called Education in Emergency (EiE) and began implementing it. The main objective of the project is to increase the capacity of the stakeholders on sustainable preparedness measures, to reduce disaster risks in education and ensure adequate contingency planning to provide children continuous access to education immediately after a disaster. In Sirajganj district, Plan International implemented the project in a school. With the support of the Education in Emergency (EiE) project of Plan and its partners, a primary school, seriously affected by river erosion, was able to continue education during a disaster. Based on training provided by Plan, the teachers and members of the School Managing Committee (SMC) were able to develop a school contingency plan through a participatory in-depth analysis of risk and vulnerability of the school. With the help of the members of the community an alternative learning place was selected to be utilised to continue education during and after the disaster. According to the school teachers and members of the SMC, the school experienced immense damage during the period from 2005 to 2009. Not only the school infrastructure but also education materials were seriously damaged. In 2007, the flood was so devastating that they were unable to save any education materials. During and immediately after a disaster the SMC, teachers and community members would usually take no initiative to keep the school open and continue childrens education. Also the school did not receive any government support and was compelled to keep it closed for quite some time. As a result, many of the students dropped out from the school. In describing the situation one of the students stated

CURRENT SITUATIO N
With support from Manab Mukti Sangstha (MMS), a local development organisation and Save the Children UK, Plan Bangladesh started to work closely with this primary school. Plan and its partners approached the school authority with the concept of EiE pointing out that the school could be continued during and immediately after a disaster like flood or river erosion. The school teachers and members of the SMC and the community appreciated the concept and said that it would be very useful to tackle the problems that they were facing. Gradually they understood the concept of EiE and subsequently received training on how to implement EiE. They also learned how to create a contingency plan with the participation of students and ways of best management of a disaster. After receiving training they started to think about an alternative learning space in the event the school would become damaged and unsafe. Eventually they decided that it should be a place that is higher than the ground level. It could be a community house or a mosque or a secondary school where the students could continue their school during flood or erosion. In explaining the process of developing a contingency plan, one of the SMC members stated that

THE SCHOOL PAST

Sirajganj is a river erosion prone area. Due to the effects of climate change the area has been suffering from extensive river erosion with frequent flood. In 2010, Plan supported a primary school which was situated at the bank of the Jamuna river. Due to the geographical location, the school was very vulnerable, especially during the monsoon season when the water level would rise unpredictably and river direction would change resulting in destructive erosion. In fact, the school was moved several times due to erosion and presently it is located about three kilometres away from its original site.

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THE RESE ARCH IN BANGLADESH

Plan Bangladesh has been striving to develop a programme to address the problem of school disappearing due to river erosion. Plan developed a project

We used to face many problems when we would resume our study at the school after flood. Due to poor road communication, we could not attend the school regularly. In addition to that, learning materials were extremely inadequate. We could not perform well in the examinations especially in mathematics and English.

We developed our school plan through a participatory in-depth analysis of risk and vulnerability of the school. Teachers, SMC members, students from different classes and members of the community participated enthusiastically in this

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process. One of the significant initiatives under the contingency plan was selection of an alternative learning place that would be planned for utilization for continuing school education during and after a disaster.
The process of developing the contingency plan enabled everyone to be positive about how they could work together to manage education better in future in disaster.

hope that the education of our children will never be interrupted in future.
Currently, 325 students are studying in this primary school.

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Later on, the school received a small grant from the EiE project and with that grant the school carried out some preparedness activities including extension of a classroom. In May 2010, when the school infrastructure was severely damaged due to river erosion, the school was shifted to an alternative space. A madrasha (religious school) was willing to provide space at their premises. The students pointed out that for the first time they saw their school to be continuing without any interruption. They were very happy to find that all the students were able to attend the school regularly. Members of the SMC and the teachers expressed the opinion that if they did not take proper initiatives beforehand it would not have been possible for them to continue education in this way. As a result of continuing education none of the students dropped out from the school. One of the SMC members acknowledged

This project has shown us the way to continue education even if there is a flood or river erosion. We