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.

Preservation of Disaster Monuments for Tourism and Education in Mount Unzen

The territory of the Shimabara Peninsula could recover steadily from volcanic disasters associated with the eruption at Unzen during 1991-1995. The disasters and the recovery brought various lessons, related to responses to volcanic eruptions and hazards, support system for people impacted by the disasters and the method for socioeconomic recovery. After the eruption, education facilities to learn volcanic eruptions and disasters, such as the Mount Unzen Disaster Memorial Hall, were prepared, as well as scientific projects to clarify eruption mechanisms were carried out. Under these circumstances, holding two international conferences were invited. The 5th Cities on Volcanoes Conference and the 5th International UNESCO Conference on Geoparks were held in Shimabara in 2007 and 2012, respectively. Under these circumstances, holding two international conferences were invited. On the process that local people recovered from the disasters, the communities carried out disaster-prevention education and volcano tourism, utilizing the Mount Unzen Disaster Memorial Hall and the park of houses buried by mudflow deposits. The memorial hall archives valuable materials of the disasters and provides simulations of volcanic eruptions with the newest technology, by which visitors can learn about volcanic eruptions. Disaster remains, such as the memorial hall and park, are effective for visitors who did not experience volcanic disasters and are difficult to imagine the real volcanic hazard.

Disaster Prevention Literacy among School Administrators and Teachers： A Study on the Plan for Disaster Prevention and Campus Network Deployment and Experiment in Taiwan

Taiwan is located at the high-risk region of natural disasters with the frequently occurred earthquakes. The importance of the disaster prevention education on campus is made even more obvious by the fact that natural disasters often occur during the school days. Given the leading roles the school administrators and teachers playing in the disaster prevention education of their pupils, this study purposed to investigate how disaster prevention literacy was among them and how disaster prevention literacy differed across various background variables of them. Furthermore, the current study also examined if disaster prevention literacy changed by participation in the disaster prevention education program. The results suggested that, among three dimensions of disaster prevention literacy （i.e., knowledge, attitude, ＆ skills） the participants were highest on disaster prevention skills and lowest on disaster prevention knowledge. Additionally, three dimensions of disaster prevention literacy of the participants differed by school level, age, years of service, personal disaster experience, and school disaster-stricken status. The participation in the disaster prevention education program was also related to participants＇ disaster prevention literacy. The implications of the above findings were discussed and the recommendations were also made for future disaster prevention education programs and research.

A Multi-Attribute Decision-Making Method Using Belief-Based Probabilistic Linguistic Term Sets and Its Application in Emergency Decision-Making

Probabilistic linguistic term sets(PLTSs)are an effective tool for expressing subjective human cognition that offer advantages in the field ofmulti-attribute decision-making(MADM).However,studies have found that PLTSs have lost their ability to accurately capture the views of decision-makers(DMs)in certain circumstances,such as when the DM hesitates between multiple linguistic terms or the decision information is incomplete,thus affecting their role in the decision-making process.Belief function theory is a leading streamof thought in uncertainty processing that is suitable for dealing with the limitations of PLTS.Therefore,the purpose of this study is to extend PLTS to incorporate belief function theory.First,we provide the basic concepts of the extended PLTS(i.e.,belief-based PLTS)through case analyses.Second,the aggregation operator of belief-based PLTS is defined with the ordered weighted average(OWA)-based soft likelihood function,which is improved by considering the reliability of the information source.Third,to measure the magnitude of different belief-based PLTSs,the belief interval of singleton is calculated,and the comparison method of belief-based PLTS is constructed based on probabilities.On the basis of the preceding discussion,we further develop an emergency decision framework that includes several novel techniques,such as attribute weight determination and decision information aggregation.Finally,the usefulness of the framework is demonstrated through a case study,and its effectiveness is illustrated through a series of comparisons.

Disaster Collaborative Exercises for Healthcare Teamwork in a Saudi Context

This study aimed to evaluate the development of healthcare teamwork during and after the collaboration tabletop exercises,through observation and interview methods.Integration and maturity theoretical models were employed to explain the collaborative challenges in teams that may suffer from unequally distributed power,hierarchies,and fragmentation.Using three-level collaboration tabletop exercises and the Command and control,Safety,Communication,Assessment,Treatment,Triage,Transport(CSCATTT)instrument,100 healthcare workers were observed during each step in the implementation of the CSCATTT instrument using two simulated scenarios.The results show a lack of integration and team maturity among participants in the first scenario,leading to the delayed start of the activity,task distribution,and decision making.These shortcomings were improved in the second scenario.In-depth interviews with 20 participants in the second phase of the study revealed improved knowledge and practical skills,self-confidence,and ability in team building within trans-professional groups in the second scenario,which in concordance with the integration theory,was due to the attempts made in the first scenario.Additionally,there was an improvement in the team’s maturity,which in concordance with the maturity theory,was due to the knowledge and practical skills during scenario plays.These results indicate the importance of continuous tabletop training,and the use of CSCATTT as a collaborative instrument,to promote the development of collaboration and to test the concept of preparedness.

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.

Impact of Virtual Disaster Collaboration Exercises on Disaster Leadership at Hospitals in Saudi Arabia

This study measured the impact of virtual three-level collaboration (3LC) exercises on participants’ perceived levels of collaboration, learning, and utility (CLU) at hospitals in the southern region of Saudi Arabia. Our 3LC exercise is a tabletop training tool used to facilitate disaster education and document CLU. This model enables the practitioner to acquire new knowledge and promotes active learning. An English version of the CLU scale, the validated Swedish survey tool, was applied to 100 healthcare managers or leaders in various positions at both the operational and tactical levels after conducting the 3LC exercises. The response rate was 100%, although not all questions were answered in some cases. The results show that most participants strongly agreed that the exercises focused on collaboration (r^(2) = 0.767) and that they had acquired new knowledge during the exercises. There was a statistically significant association between participation in the collaboration exercises and perceived learning (r^(2) = 0.793), as well as between perceived learning and utility (r^(2) = 0.811). The collaboration exercises enhance the perceived effects of CLU. They also improve the ability of participants to adapt situational strategies to achieve a safer society. Although exercises were conducted virtually, they were well received by the participants and achieved a value M = 4.4 CLU score, which opens up new dimensions in collaboration simulation exercises.