Existing mechanisms and processes for child and youth participation in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in

The authors express their gratitude for the key support provided by Staff members of the CBSS and PA Secure Kids Project partners and other organisations in delivering the survey questionnaires, including: the Union of Baltic Cities UBC (Poland); the National Headquarters of the State Fire Services (Poland); the Liepaja Municipal Police (Latvia); the NGO TREPES (Latvia); the Union of the Baltic Ci. [...] and health, and economic, physical, social, cultural, and In the context of this Pre-Study, risk assessment most environmental assets, systems and activities, of a disaster- often refers to how individuals and groups (particularly affected community or society, aligning with the principles children and young people) perceive the risk of hazard in of sustainable development and “build back better”. [...] Indeed, one of the core activities envisaged in the framework of the Project, of which the mapping will represent the basis, is the subsequent development of child and youth participation mechanisms in DRR activities, and of practical tools for adaptation of the mechanisms to different countries and contexts. [...] In three of the countries where the survey was carried out, the majority (or totality) of respondents were from the age The targeted populations of the mapping survey group 14-18 (Poland – 89%; Sweden – 97%; and Lithuania corresponded, in principle, to all children and young people – 100%). [...] Finally, no mechanisms seem to be in place in the countries targeted by the survey to regularly involve children and Both younger and older children participating in the survey young people in DRR activities, besides awareness raising were also asked to assess their own capacity to react and education in schools, and training activities offered throughout the different DRR phases.