Abstract
Abstract. Scientific education of local communities is key in helping to reduce the risk associated with natural disasters such as earthquakes. Western Nepal has a history of major seismic events and is highly prone to further earthquakes; however, the majority of the population is not aware about or prepared for them. To increase earthquake awareness and improve preparedness, a seismology education program was established at 22 schools in Nepal. At each school, educational activities were performed by teaching earthquake-related topics in classrooms, offering training to teachers and through installing a low-cost seismometer network which supported both teaching and awareness objectives. To test the effects of this program, we conducted two surveys with school children, one before and one after the initiation of the program, with several hundred participants in each. The survey findings highlighted that educational activities implemented at schools are effective in raising the awareness levels of children, promoting broader social learning in the community, thus improving the adaptive capacities and preparedness for future earthquakes. However, perceptions of risk did not change very much. The high and positive impact of the program on the students and the community is encouraging for the continuation and expansion of the program.
Highlights
It is becoming increasingly important to educate people in the era of global change about environmental hazards to ensure that they are well prepared to face the rising number of challenges
As a result of the novel school-based education program, themes related to earthquakes are more familiar to the students than in the past, and their awareness levels have increased since the program was initiated
The new knowledge learned by the students at school reaches their parents and is transferred into the local community
Summary
It is becoming increasingly important to educate people in the era of global change about environmental hazards to ensure that they are well prepared to face the rising number of challenges. Education may play a central role in the risk management of natural hazards and may help to reduce vulnerability and improve adaptability though allowing people to anticipate and prepare for hazards (Godschalk, 2003; IRGC, 2005). Whether people prepare for future earthquakes or not can be significantly influenced by their education and their engagement with the topic (Tanaka, 2005). All-inclusive public awareness and education is fundamental for reducing casualties, personal injuries and property damage from natural disasters (National Research Council, 1991; Torani et al, 2019). Researchers can contribute to and play a key role in the education of society, not just to engage more people in research and to provide scientific explanations for natural hazards and related consequences to local communities as well as helping to develop polices for mitigation of the effects
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