Flooding, Climate Change, and why Women and Children are Most at Risk

Climate change is real, and its here.

Climate disasters are intensifying across the world, from devastating floods in Vietnam and Cameroon to deadly landslides in Kenya.

In just weeks:

• 40 lives lost in Vietnam as typhoon Kalmaegi looms
• Communities in Cameroon displaced by overflowing rivers
• Kenya’s Rift Valley hit by fatal landslides

These events are not isolated; they are symptoms of a planet in distress. Climate change is real, and it’s here.

UNICEF warns that over 1 billion children are at extremely high risk from climate impacts. We must not only protect them, we must empower them.

Education and creativity are powerful tools for climate resilience.

Women salvaged belongings from their flooded home after recent monsoon rains, in the Sindh province of Pakistan. AP Photo/Fareed Khan

Women and girls are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis

Despite producing between 60% and 80% of the food in most developing countries and accounting for half of the world's food production, women still lack equal access to:

• Assets
• Education
• Sanitation
• Income
• Productive resources
• Healthcare
• Water
• Visibility

How does climate change relate to this issue

There are several ways in which climate change contributes to unequal access for women and girls:

• Increased pressure on girls, who may have to leave school to help their mothers manage the additional burdens.
• Women and girls often have less access to relief and assistance following natural disasters and conflicts.
• Climate change can lead to higher levels of violence against women and children.
• Resource scarcity forces women to work harder and travel longer distances to gather basic necessities.

We must advocate for the recognition and participation of women and girls in decision-making processes and demand stronger social protection systems. By improving girls' access to STEM careers and education, we can help address these inequalities.

Image by Smile Foundation www.smilefoundationindia.org

But amidst the chaos, there’s hope - in the hands of children designing a better tomorrow

At Dream Networks, we believe children can lead the way. By helping children design for climate resilience, we build more than knowledge; we build agency, community, and hope.

We are currently collaborating with youth in flood-prone, economically marginalized communities in Kenya and Madagascar to uncover the vulnerabilities people of mixed ages face when flooding occurs. Then, partnering with generative AI to empower them to communicate these vulnerabilities, as well as ways to partner with nature to help them adapt to climate change by creating more flood-resilient environments.  This is particularly important as the perspectives of young people and people experiencing poverty are often not included in governmental climate change adaptation plans. This tool enables them to communicate their perspectives more clearly, in a manner that urban planners and other decision makers can more readily respond to.

This project has reached approximately 80 young people and communtiy members, 2 communities and has been carried out in partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering, Slum Dwellers International, Wonders of this Place climate education,  University of Antananarivo, University of Masceno and Kisumu county government.

Get in contact with us at info@dreamnetworks.co.uk, if you want to know more or be part of the growing cohort of groups using the application.

Need help designing more inclusively?

At Dream Networks we work with businesses, schools and communities towards a common vision of play areas that are accessible for all children, regardless of their socio-economic status and physical abilities.

Each of our collaborators provides valuable skills and resources to bring this vision to life. Here you can find detailed information about working with us. There is a variety of ways to get involved - all we ask for is that you share our vision!

Whether you are a business owner, an architect, a school teacher, a community member, a governor, a parent, an employee, a community activist, a child, or the president, contact us and let's talk about collaboratively enabling Play4all.