School-based disaster risk reduction program: A critical analysis on role-playing in evacuation training

Author: Mita Anggaryani – The Australian National University, Australia

Role-playing presents a new trend that has not been standardized yet as a Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) communication strategy in schools. School community plays a significant role in disseminating DRR awareness. A school-based DRR program provides knowledge and practical skills needed to reduce the risk of disaster. However, there is a challenge in teaching risk management to the school community. The school community seems not ready for communicating information merely based on scientific data. In countries that still have a robust belief system mainly related to supernatural powers, such as Indonesia, science needs to be transformed into information that is simple and acceptable for the local community. In some cases, practical procedures of safety become more prioritised than science-based knowledge of risk when it comes to raising public awareness. Evacuation training in school-based DRR programs has become essential in promoting DRR awareness. As the training developed with an intention to give a real situation during the disaster, dramatic scenes involving school community as actors are set. Evacuation training with role-playing is expected to be able to offer emotional aspects that might help decision making in a critical situation. This study seeks to draw a critical analysis regarding the evacuation-training program in Indonesia by comparing the key features of similar programs in Japan and New Zealand. The analysis will be used to recommend a better risk management training for schools. The methods in this study are interviews and observations. There were 20 schools, 18 principals, and 36 teachers that participated in this study. The results show role-playing in evacuation training affects the community’s interest in DRR. However, the interest does not guarantee the school community committed to continuing the program. In brief, role-playing has a potential to communicate DRR in the risk management training.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Visual talk
Theme: Society
Area of interest: Comparing science communication across cultures