Panel: Keep climate change projects in school syllabus

Kolkata: The West Bengal commission for protection of child rights (WBCPCR) has developed a booklet of climate change-related projects for schools to engage children through practical learning and equip them with knowledge, skills, and values to act responsibly, protect themselves, and contribute to overcoming climate challenges. The booklet was forwarded to the school syllabus committee for inclusion of the projects in textbooks.The projects outlined included landslide and avalanche awareness through a diorama project; poster design on climate change and its effect on the local ecosystem and wildlife; creation of a comic strip on deforestation and climate hazards; posters on floods and child rights violations; mapping the journey of a river to look at riverbank erosion; a DIY rainwater harvesting model; a photo essay on mining and children's health hazards; creative writing to look at deforestation and climate change; disaster kit making for floods or cyclones; and a cool-my-school campaign to mitigate urban climate change.
WBCPCR also created two more booklets on climate change and disaster management that specifically addressed challenges faced by children. It included a white paper with recommendations to make the state's disaster management policy and framework sensitive to children's needs, and to build community resilience to climate change through a child-centric disaster management policy.The projects and the white paper were developed in collaboration with Terre des Hommes (TDH) and Praajak."In recent years, we recognised an inseparable reality: the climate change crisis is a child rights crisis. Children are disproportionately vulnerable to the floods, cyclones, and heatwaves that increasingly threaten our region. The Commission emphasises that disaster response must be child-centric, inclusive, and equitable. We must prioritise those in environmentally fragile areas, especially children facing displacement, poverty, or disability," said WBCPCR chairperson Tulika Das.The Commission called for the setting up of a special unit to focus on developing risk training and disaster-related information tailored for students. This unit will design training modules aimed at educating students on disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, ensuring they are equipped with the knowledge and skills to contribute effectively during emergencies."Our goal is to reposition children at the heart of climate-resilient governance, ensuring their meaningful participation in preparedness, recovery, and climate action," said WBCPCR advisor Ananya Chatterjee Chakraborti.