@ UNICEF/NYHQ2008-0340/Adam Dean
Left homeless by the cyclone, children gather outside a school that serves as a shelter near the town of Kundangon, Myanmar.

By Rudina Vojvoda

NEW YORK, 8 May 2011 – More than 175 million children are likely to be affected each year by climate-related disasters. While coping with climate change is becoming quintessential for our society, so is preparing the future generations to deal with the aftermath of disasters and adapt to the ever-changing climate.

At the ringing of the bell, staff, students and their parents at the San Jose Elementary School know exactly what to do. They have practiced this drill before and know that in this disaster-prone corner of the Philippines, it is an exercise that could one day save lives. For behind this school, shrouded in mist and steam, is the Mount Mayon volcano – a permanent reminder of potential danger.