Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Education from Social Disciplinary Theoretical Perspectives

Disaster is a social phenomenon. The occurrence and impacts of disasters including the education sector can be studied through a social problem lens. This paper draws meaning and understanding of DRR education using the sociological disciplinary framework in a detailed qualitative case study of three schools as they responded to the devastating Gorakha earthquake in 2015 and other disasters in Nepal. This paper considers the three sub-disciplines of sociology: the sociology of disaster, the sociology of education and the sociology of education governance in a development context. These sub-disciplines are nested together to analyse social, political and historical factors and their relationships which are helpful to identify risks and vulnerabilities in the education sector in Nepal. These are the major areas to explore the disaster context and needs of context-specific education acts (hereafter DRR education) to minimise the potential risks of disasters. The article concludes that the social disciplinary framework is significantly useful to analyse DRR education provisions and implications of education governance to mobilise school in disaster preparedness, response and recovery.

Amelioration and retrofitting of educational buildings

Following a seismic event that occurred years ago in Central Italy, the public opinion was growing and growing a concern on the adequacy of educational buildings all across Italy. This activated several political decisions and a consequent technical effort is in progress. Technically speaking one has to manage the classical problem of retrofitting existing buildings. However, the legal environment goes across national codes, targeted guidelines and the professional need of achieving pragmatic solutions based on ethical and social acceptation schemes.This paper introduces the topic in its worldwide exception and focuses then on some operative aspects in the Italian situation. It outlines the consolidated steps along this technical process and emphasizes the weak aspects one meets when going across the designers＇ reports.

Children in Disaster Risk Reduction in Portugal: Policies,Education,and (Non) Participation

International agencies and scientific research have been calling for the inclusion of children in disaster preparedness and risk reduction, to hear their voices in order to address their specific needs and vulnerabilities and harness their capabilities in terms of building community resilience. This article assesses the roles ascribed to children in policy and education for disaster risk reduction in Portugal. The approach is based on a scoping methodology that encompasses document analysis and interviews with national and local stakeholders and policymakers in the disaster risk reduction field. The research is carried out within the scope of a European funded project, CUIDAR Cultures of Disaster Resilience among Children and Young People. More specifically, the article provides an overview of the discourses on the roles ascribed to children in urban disaster risk reduction(DRR). The authors maintain that although children are often taken as a target group in urban disaster prevention and management, they are seldom considered in terms of active participation in disaster risk reduction programs in the Portuguese context. Nevertheless, our analysis shows that there is a growing awareness of the relevance of active participation by children in order to create successful DRR.

New Realization of Disaster Risk Reduction Education in the Context of a Global Pandemic: Lessons from Japan

The global COVID-19 pandemic has challenged different development sectors,including education.In this article,two main analyses are provided:one on the biological hazards of the pandemic in the context of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015−2030,which analyzes the overall impacts on the education sector.Then we discuss the overall impact on education sectors,with specific focus on disaster risk reduction(DRR)education and education for sustainable development(ESD).Disaster risk reduction education and ESD are analyzed from the perspective of school-community-family linkages.Specific case analysis of COVID-19 response in the education sector is presented from Omuta City,Japan,which is considered as a champion city for ESD.Four phases of response in Omuta City are characterized with three specific foci:(1)mitigating covid impacts on educational program and participants;(2)preventing exacerbation of covid transmission within and outside schools;and(3)maintaining educational program integrity despite covid.Key lessons are summarized in the concluding section,which explore the importance of(1)educational governance(on critical decision making)during the pandemic as well as with cascading risks;(2)enhancement of school-community-family linkages as pandemic response commonalities between ESD and DRR education;(3)risk communication and citizen behavior;and(4)use of technology.We argue that integration of health and DRR education is important,that resilience needs to be redefined in terms of sustainable development goals(SDGs),and that education plays a vital role in achieving these ends.