The recent catastrophic flooding in various parts of the Tarai region and the 2015 earthquake has exposed Nepal’s vulnerabilities. Ranked as one of the most disaster prone countries in the world, casualties triggered from small to large-scale natural hazards have become a part of the general people’s lives. The massive earthquake resulted in the loss of over 9,000 lives and displaced millions, causing numerous socio-economic losses in terms of the country’s development process. While the earthquake affected all sectors, the schools were severely impacted. Around 35,000 classrooms were reported to be damaged, hampering the education of around 1 million children.

Disasters such as the recent floods, landslides, and earthquake have had huge impacts on children, highlighting the need for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) education in the school sector. DRR education is crucial, not only for saving lives and property, but also for promoting resilience in the community. In every disaster, children are the most vulnerable population. Haiti’s earthquake in 2010 killed around 38,000 students whereas 17,000 students died with the collapse of 10,000 schools in Pakistan’s earthquake in 2005. Neither states had DRR education. This reflects that, in the absence of DRR friendly schools, casualties have been high and recovery takes a longer time.

Impact of DRR

The education of children following the earthquake of 2015 was further hampered by the reluctance of concerned authorities to reconstruct damaged schools. Two years have passed after the earthquake and only around 1,662 schools out of the 8,353 that were damaged have been re-constructed. With this delay, thousands of children are being deprived of an education. Disruption in education not only violates children’s right to education, but also triggers several socio-economic problems on a larger scale. Dropping out and absenteeism means that chances are likely that children are exposed to risks of neglect, exploitation, trafficking and violence, including psychological trauma. Prolonged disruption of education affects a child’s future prospect and development.

Schools are often neglected in the aftermath of a disaster. In post-emergency situations, basic necessities such as food, water, and shelter are afforded priority while schools don’t receive much attention.

The concept of DRR has not been taught to the public over the past decade; sector specific disaster management has not been given much attention. The impact of disaster in the education sector could lead to an education crisis. The children who remain out of school for an extended period of time during emergencies are less likely to return to classroom. In such cases, tremendous effort is required to bring children back to school; re-investment is not an easy task. The losses in the education sector will definitely hinder progress in achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Thus, it is imperative that disaster preparedness and response measures are put in place so that  disaster does not affect educational progress and continuity.

DRR in education, which focuses on both the reduction of vulnerability and enhancement of preparedness and response to disaster, is vital for school safety. It ensures that school facilities are safe and both the teacher and student are prepared for potential disasters. Subsequently, when children pass this knowledge to family members, it fosters a resilient community.

A school with a proper disaster plan prepared through a participatory and coordinated approach, and its integration into local plans and policies are important for effective disaster management. School safety is not limited to resilient buildings; it also concerns the development of linkages with community services like health posts, police departments, and fire brigades, continuing education through temporary learning systems in the aftermath of a disaster, and increasing survival potential through DRR curriculum and extracurricular activities. Thus, DRR in schools is considered to be the most cost-effective measure to reduce the impact of disaster.

Most significantly, DRR in education serves to achieve the sustainable development goals of quality education and the need to safeguard long-term education sector investments while developing resilience at the time of disaster. In brief, resilient schools mean that there is less of an impact on school infrastructure, minimised disruption to educational services, plans for educational continuity and the saving of lives.

Institutional framework

Over the last decade, the government has taken some initiatives towards disaster reduction with legal, policy and institutional framework. Formulation of the National Strategy for Disaster Risk Management 2009 and the National Disaster Response Framework 2013, and inclusion of DRR in the constitution are some significant steps towards disaster management. DRR has been incorporated into the School Sector Development Plan and School Improvement Plan and prioritises school safety. Disaster topics are also included in school curricula to a certain extent. Thus, positive steps and commitment from government to integrate DRR can be seen. However, there is still a need to strengthen policies and ensure the effective implementation of DRR while improving institutional capacity in school based disaster risk management.

Nepal, as a member of the United Nations (UN), is signatory to many regional and global commitments related to DRR and therefore has a responsibility to address those issues. The recent adaptation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030) at United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction emphasises school safety and recognises the role of children in reducing risk. The government is heading towards the integration and implementation of three pillars of Comprehensive School Safety Framework into its education plans and policies. Therefore, better coordination among education stakeholders and consideration of DRR from the very beginning of their investment in the school sector is necessary.

As the country moves to recovery and reconstruction, mainstreaming DRR in the education system not only ensures children’s access to education in a safe environment, but also strengthens resilience in the community.

Tamang is an MPhil student at the Institute of Advanced Communication Education and Research, Nepal