Informal Education for Disaster Risk Reduction

Abstract

Education is a long-term defence against disasters that enables societies to better cope with seismic hazard in different ways. It can directly influence risk perception, skills and knowledge, and promote access to information and resources. The ‘Urban Disasters Prevention Strategies using Macroseismic Faults’ (UPStrat-MAFA) project investigated disaster mitigation strategies, including education. Risk reduction efforts implemented in schools were measured through surveys conducted mostly in Iceland, but also in major urban areas of Italy and Portugal that are all exposed to various levels of seismic hazard. The survey included an evaluation of how active local authorities were in the dissemination of information, and how this information was channelled to schools. Vulnerability mitigation for building interiors and efforts towards educating pupils towards a culture of safety were also measured. The study indicates that the authorities and scientists need to take actions for the introduction of hazard education into school curricula, and to provide better information on the hazard at the local level. However, above all, they owe children better tools towards a more efficient preparedness.