Thousands of students in ASEAN nations to get disaster safe schools
Phnom Penh - Event details: ASEAN Regional Conference on school safety, 16-17 December 2015
More than 250,000 school-going children living in disaster prone areas in Southeast Asia stand to be better protected from natural disasters this week as government education leaders and disaster management leaders from eight nations and the ASEAN Secretariat meet in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The government leaders, along with civil society officials, are meeting to discuss a joint regional initiative to create more disaster safe schools, places where children learn how to survive a natural disaster, a school structure that is built or renovated to withstand disasters and located in communities with effective and efficient disaster plans.
In the last five years, some 14,500 schools in ASEAN region were damaged during earthquakes, floods, fires and typhoons. In Cambodia, Laos PDR and Thailand, annual swelling of the Mekong river causes more than half the schools in the affected provinces to close for many days or months. During Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar and Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, hundreds of schools were damaged or completely destroyed.
In order to make disaster safe schools a reality, we know it will take a joint effort. Children, educators and caregivers alike must learn to prepare for disasters.
“With climate change, in the last 10 years we’ve seen an increase in flooding and storms. As children are the most vulnerable in natural disasters, it’s crucial the place they spend most of their time – school – is a place that will protect them,” says Meimei Leung, World Vision’s Humanitarian Emergency Affairs Director in East Asia.
Government leaders from all 10 ASEAN member states, along with civil society organisations including World Vision are endorsing the scaling up of school safety initiatives. This week, World Vision and ASEAN’s Safe School Initiative is also launching a new safe schools publication, with case studies and best practices from seven countries.
“The report presents exemplary work, schools in six ASEAN countries, are already doing to ensure schools and children are safe during disasters. It also includes best practices from Bangladesh, one of Asia’s most disaster prone nations,” explained Ms. Leung, one of the report’s editors.
When children go to disaster-ready schools, children will be more resilient and prepared when disasters happen and have safe and secure learning environments.
For more information, or to speak to someone attending the event, please contact:
Phanith Sovann, Supporter Engagement Manager
World Vision Cambodia
email: phanith_sovann@wvi.org