UNESCO Bangkok, Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education Disaster Risk Reduction and Prevention Education in Education for Derek Elias Sustainable Chief of ESD unit UNESCO Bangkok Development 1
Global initiatives calling for integrating DRR into Education Hyogo Framework for Action Priority 3 Knowledge and Education ISDR global campaign Disaster Risk Reduction Begins at School Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014)
Why Disaster Risk Reduction in Education? Children are the most vulnerable group; There is a multiplier effect of educating the public through the children; Schools are often used as evacuation centres during a disaster event; Educational institutions are major public infrastructure, which can create long-lasting impact on future generations
Snapshots of UNESCO DRR activities in Asia- Pacific region Major DRR products in 2004-2006 The Urai Lawoi of the Adang Archipelago, Thailand. Bridging the Gap between the Rights and Needs of Indigenous Communities and the Management of Protected Areas Natural Disaster Preparedness and Education for Sustainable Development Phase I & II A Chapter with Tudor Rose RISK WISE, Education for Natural Disaster Preparedness in the Context of Education for Sustainable Development
Snapshots of UNESCO DRR activities in Asia- Pacific region Major DRR products in 2004-2006 Disaster Master Natural Disaster Preparedness Game Understanding Landslide Hazards and Preparedness in Northern Thailand
Multiple Entry Points Leads to diverse range of UNESCO s responses, partners, funds and opportunities across our sectors Technical work and cultural sectors in Jakarta... Journalist training in Bangladesh Education sector in China and Myanmar
Snapshots of UNESCO DRR activities in Asia- Pacific region Major DRR activities/events 2008-2010 Cyclone Nargis Humanitarian Response Myanmar Education Recovery Programme (MERP) UNESCO convenes Disaster Preparedness and Response Education Working Group, Myanmar (DPRE) 15 meetings in two years DPRE consists of Department of Educational Planning and Training (DEPT), DBE (3), DBE (1) from MoE, Myanmar and ADPC, UNICEF, MRCS, FRC, Save the Children, Plan International, Action Aid, RCC and World Vision.
Snapshots of DRR activities in Asia-Pacific region Products of Myanmar Education Recovery Programme (MERP) DRR Resource Pack: 7 Modules English/Myanmar language
MERP activities UNESCO Bangkok has successfully linked humanitarian interventions with longer term interventions centered around policy and system development as well as institution- and capacity building
Progress Disaster Preparedness and Response Education Working Group, Myanmar (DPRE) The training has been provided to 2,102 principals and teachers in the 8 cyclone-affected townships. The training had increased the teachers knowledge about DRR significantly as per findings from the statistical analysis. It was reported that support for the training on how to use the DPRE resource pack is still needed and DPRE WG is planning to conduct training for teachers in August 2010 in four new townships: Kawhmu, Ma-u-bin, Myaunmya and Wa-ke-ma. --- so what?
Integrating DRR concepts in formal School Curricula DRR can be integrated as new modules/chapters in existing subjects or as a new subject Curriculum framework plan to be developed matrix of different subjects in each grade, content of each subject, identifying opportunities to integrate DRR in relevant subjects in specific grades MOEs to take the lead in close partnership with other governmental counterparts Partnership with development partners involved in education sector agenda of the country
Challenge How is this opportunity and demand to be structured?.. We need a clearer internal UNESCO picture to make sense of the external reality DRR Education opens doors to the sector
Snapshots of UNESCO DRR activities in Asia- Pacific region Major DRR activities/events 2007 Asia-Pacific Regional Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction and School Education, 8-10 October 2007. Jointly initiative with UN/ISDR and UNICEF. 300 participants from governments, national institutes and NGOs. Bangkok Action Agenda recognized by Asian Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction, Delhi.
Snapshots of UNESCO DRR activities in Asia- Pacific region Major DRR activities/events 2009-2010 Ongoing Regional Thematic Working Group Education Cluster 2009 onwards UNICEF, Save the Children-UK, Save the Children-Sweden, Plan International, USAID IASC Ministry of Education Training, October 2009 Financial supported by UNICEF APSSC. Bangladesh, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. International Expert Meeting on Mainstreaming DRR and Climate Change in the context of ESD 2010 Financial supported by UNICEF APSSC and in collaboration with other UN agencies, World Bank, INGOs and NGOs. Cambodia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand Contributions to and a place in Global Education Cluster
Regional DRR Initiatives RCM Working Group on Environment and Disaster Management with focus on CCA & DRR integration ISDR Asia Partners (IAP) ESCAP ISDR joint initiatives on DRR & CCA Third Asian Ministerial Conference on DRR, 2-4 December 2008 Organized by the Government of Malaysia with the support of UN/ISDR
UNESCO Bangkok s DRR priorities Political commitment: UNESCO has made DRR a focus of the UNDESD. UNESCO s contribution to a disaster response, as a lead agency for the global EFA movement. Coordination: UNESCO s regional strategy for mainstreaming disaster risk reduction in the education sector. Planning: UNESCO promotes good Education Sector Plans. Delivery? Products? Impact? Visibility?
Key lessons learnt from UNESCO interventions in Asia-Pacific The development of the education system to include and address the issue of disaster risk reduction and prevention can be initiated in the form of upstream policy initiatives or downstream activities in classrooms, schools and communities. Expectations are high in this region regarding the response of the Education sector to disasters in both preparedness and response.
ESD Operational Definition Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) facilitates the degree to which an education system is prepared for, and is responsive to, existing and emerging challenges (to the relevance of education) (eg. Disasters).
DRR and Preparedness Growing recognition that preparedness is the key to effective and timely response. DRR is the glue that binds development and humanitarian work. This focus on preparedness has also included efforts at DRR through initiatives such as school retrofitting projects, learning about disasters, how to prepare for, prevent and/or mitigate them and school and community safety plans. The marriage of the Humanitarian Cluster Approach and the growing awareness of the importance of preparedness has led to the use of the Cluster as a critical preparedness mechanism.
A question Does what UNESCO wants to do (SPO s 5 and 14) match with what we say we will do (MLA s)?
a final word on DRR in Education UNESCO should be strategically driven and not seen as a library of disparate resources borne of circumstance or expediency rather than necessity