Education and earthquake hazard preparedness: How do they fit together?

Abstract

In the context of natural disasters, education is a method to achieve mitigating actions in case of severe damage caused by different sources. In regions prone to seismic activity, education is only a part of what can be defined as "earthquake hazard preparedness". Nevertheless, it is a significant part indeed, as it involves the building of awareness, the establishment of a culture of prevention, and even the increase of safety when it acts on the process of making future decisions. Bearing this in mind, the UPStrat-MAFA (Urban disasters Prevention Strategies using MAcroseismic Faults) projects relied on education to promote risk mitigation. Throughout the two-year long project (from 2012 to 2013), we analysed the weight that seismic-related topics have in the current education system within four European countries prone to seismic hazards (Iceland, Italy, Portugal and Spain). Highlighting the major weaknesses we found, we developed strategies to cope with the urge of a culture of safety.