UNDERSTANDING CLIMATE CHANGE AND DISASTER: WORLDVIEW OF UPOU EARTH AMBASSADORS

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1 UNDERSTANDING CLIMATE CHANGE AND DISASTER: WORLDVIEW OF UPOU EARTH AMBASSADORS Joane V. Serrano, PhD Assistant Professor Faculty of Management and Development Studies UP Open University

2 Background of the Study There are myriad of studies about how people view climate change and disaster Children are people too.. but they are rarely asked about their views on the environment i.e. climate change and disaster risks As a result of this lack of participation and involvement, many children grow up with distorted views of the environment. including climate change and disaster risks

3 Why do we need to be concerned about children s worldview? Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child the most widely ratified of all international conventions states that children have a right to have a say in decisions that will affect them As climate change is affecting children s lives now and will undoubtedly continue to do so far into the future, it is only right that children s views are heard and taken onboard by those making the decisions today [UNICEF]. A worldview that conserves and protects the environment is developed through time. Children s sense of right and wrong is critical during their developmental stage. Thus, their view and eventually their actions in the future will be best influenced today.

4 Climate Change and Disasters Natural hazards by themselves do not cause disasters it is the combination of an exposed, vulnerable and ill prepared population or community with a hazard event that results in disaster. [ISDR, UN] Climate change will therefore affect disaster risks in two ways: 1) through the likely increase in weather and climate hazards 2) through increases in the vulnerability of communities to natural hazards, particularly through ecosystem degradation, reductions in water and food availability, and changes to livelihoods.

5 Meet the UPOU E a r t h A m b a s s a d o r s To capacitate elementary school children on environmentalism Dayap Elementary School Sto.Domingo Elementary School The Learning Place

6 Objectives of the Study The overall aim of this paper is to draw out the environmental worldview of the children by exploring their concept of climate change and disaster. Specifically, it aims to: 1) Determine how children view climate change and disasters; 2) Determine how they view their role as earth ambassadors; 3)Gain insight into how they view their elders and leaders preparedness to climate change effects and disaster.

7 This study is framed by phenomenography. Theoretical Framework Phenomenography or constitutional framework as Marton (1981) terms this theoretical frame is primarily interested in how various aspects of the world are seen by different individuals. Its aim is to discover the qualitatively different ways in which people experience, conceptualize, realize and understand various aspects of phenomena in the world around them (Martin et al., 1992).

8 Phenomenography is neither solely concerned with human perceptions of the world nor only with the object itself. Rather, it focuses on finding the relationship between humans and the world around them. It takes a non-dualistic ontological perspective; meaning that object and subject are not separate and independent of each other. There are various ways in which people experience or understand a given phenomenon, because different people experience a phenomenon in different ways. Phenomenographers seek to identify the multiple conceptions that people have for a particular phenomenon. The conception of researchers about a given phenomenon is not the focus of the study, because the focus of phenomenographical study is about the conceptions that people have on certain phenomenon.

9 Methods Qualitative research/phenomenographic Study - Focus group interview to facilitate the participants reflection on their experience of a phenomenon. Interview is centered around following up and exploring different aspects of the interviewee s experience as thoroughly as possible. - Focus on three UPOU Earth Ambassadors Schools - In phenomenographic study, bracketing is important

10 Data analysis - Analysis was guided by the Phenomenographic approach which qualitatively separate categories that describe the ways in which different people experience a different concept. - Studied both the what aspect of disaster and the how aspect of it. Steps: 1) Transcription of interviews; 2) Reading and familiarizing the text; 3) Identify the most significant elements in answers given by participants 4) Look for the what and how the children describe their experience of disaster. Make a preliminary description of each child s understanding of climate change & disaster 5) Group the descriptions into categories, based on similarities and differences 6) Look for non-dominant way of understanding 7) Assign a metaphor to each category of description

11 Children s view of climate change and disaster The VULNERABLE child Discussion and Results The GUILTY child The COMPASSIONATE child The ACTIVIST child

12 The VULNERABLE child - Sees climate change and disaster as something to be afraid of Nakakatakot po pag may malakas na bagyo kasi hindi mo alam kung may mas dadating pa na mas malakas na hangin at ulan It is scary when there is a strong typhoon because you do not know if a there will be a stronger rain or wind to follow - Views climate change and disaster as something that takes away things of value Pagkatapos po ng baha, walang natira sa aming bahay kundi basura After the flood, nothing was left to our house but garbage

13 The GUILTY child - Unsustainable environmental practices bring out guilt feeling Nakaka guilty po kasi dahil sa pagputol ng tao sa mga kahoy kaya bumabaha I feel guilty because it is people s action of cutting trees that cause the flood - Empathy to the victims Kahit di po nangyari sa Dayap parang nararamdaman din po naming yong naramdaman nila Even if it did not happen in Dayap we feel what they feel

14 The COMPASSIONATE child - Compassion towards the victims of climate change and disasters Nakakaawa po yong mga taong nahihirapan dahil dito sa climate change at disaster I pity those who suffer because of the effects of climate change change and disaster - Sees the world from a different perspective Nong nagsimula kaming maging Earth Ambassador don din nagsimulang maintindihan namin na ang masamang gawain namin ay dahilan ng climate change at disaster When we became Earth Ambassador we started to learn that our bad practices caused climate change and these disasters

15 - Protest the causes of climate change and disaster Labanan ang mga pagputol ng kahoy sa Makiling Fight the cutting of trees in Makiling The ACTIVIST child - Have an active roles as Earth Ambassadors Bilang Earth Ambassadors dapat maging aktibo sa pangangalaga ng Mother Earth As Earth Ambassadors we need to care for Mother Earth

16 UPOU EA s View of their Roles As Stewards - Earth is entrusted to the care of humans - Shepherds and safeguards earth - Harmony between nature and men Discussion and Results

17 As Rehabilitator Tries to restore Mother Earth to its healthy state

18 As Advocates tries to influence fellow children and the community through sustainable environmental practices

19 As Warriors - Connotes an active role towards rehabilitation of Mother Earth - Serves as activists against illegal environmental practices

20 Climate Change Mitigation-Adaptation/Disaster Risk Reduction: Children s Conception Disaster Start small - Do not wait for disasters to happen. Small efforts can be done such as segregating wastes and throwing them properly. Influencing adult - Inform and convince family members, classmates, friends and other members of the community to practice sustainable environmental management such as avoid clogging the canals to prevent disaster and mitigate climate chnage Action speaks louder Encourage people to protect nature; continue planting trees Keeping my promise - Be consistent with their commitment as Earth Ambassadors

21 Children s View of the Leaders Preparedness Most of the children said that their community or barangay leaders are not prepared to deal with climate change and disasters Do not walk the talk The leaders do not practice sustainable environmental management like segregating wastes, cleaning the canals; they do not follow their own ordinances and regulations; they cut trees Community members are not cooperative Not enough facilities such emergency kit, first aid kit, ec Focus more on peace and order and other concerns of the barangay Lacks consistency in their efforts to mobilize the community to prepare for climate change and disaster

22 Conclusions Through this study, it can be concluded that children, as young as they are, have clear concepts and views about effects of climate change as well as disaster risk reduction and management. Their actual experiences of disaster and their experience as UPOU Earth Ambassadors are contributing to a worldview towards a harmonious relationship between humans and nature. The result of this study shows how vulnerable children are in times of disaster. But at the same time, they should have a participatory role in climate change mitigation and adaption as well as in disaster risk reduction and management

23 Recommendations Conduct similar study on other elementary schools Continue educating the UPOU Earth Ambassadors and exposing them more on climate change and DRRM Continue to develop the leadership skills of the UPOU Earth Ambassadors to make them change agents

24 UPOU acts as a change agent and produces change agents for national development. As a Public Service University, it aims to develop leaders and arm both leaders and constituents with critical thinking skills in all fields including that of environmental concerns. What better way to accomplish this role through empowering the children as young as they are to be responsible stewards of the environment. Dr. Grace Javier Alfonso UPOU Chancellor

25 References Barraza, L Perception of Social and Environmental Problems by English and Mexican School Children. Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 6, Spring, pp Degen, Greta Marie, "A phenomenographic study exploring nursing education and practice" (2010). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. Paper Liu, S. and Lin, H Undergraduate students ideas about nature and human nature relationships: an empirical analysis of environmental worldviews. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, National Science Council, Taiwan. McCans, S Through Children s Eyes. International Development Research Centre (IDRC). Retrieved from on25 September 2011 Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved from on 23 January 2014 Petegem, P. V. and Blieck, A The environmental worldview of children: a cross-cultural perspective. Environmental Education Research, Vol. 12, No. 5, pp

26 Thank you!