UNESCO Office in Windhoek 38-44 Stein Street, Klein Windhoek, P.O. Box 24519, Windhoek, Namibia
School Manual on Emergency Preparedness and Response
Based on lessons learned from Caprivi, Namibia 2010
The Namibian government declared in early 2009 a national emergency after the highest flood level in fifty years causing extensive damage to socio-economic infrastructures in the six northern regions. One of the recommendations made by the government was to prepare for future emergencies by developing a school manual on emergency preparedness and response.
In January 2010, the Caprivi Regional Education Office, UNESCO and UNICEF organized a three-day workshop to formulate recommendations for improvements to local, regional and national disaster risk contingency plans in the field of education. Representatives from fifteen of the most affected schools in Caprivi, the Regional Education Forum and the National Institute for Educational Development (NIED) shared their best practices.
The School Manual on Emergency Preparedness and Response is the result of the recent flood disaster in Namibia and efforts made to improve the preparedness for future disasters in the education sector. It is meant to be a practical guide for teachers and other education personnel on how to prepare and involve the learners, parents, school boards, community members and local authorities. The goal of this initiative is to enable a culture of disaster risk reduction, and to enhance disaster risk management and knowledge management in Namibia.
The manual is being piloted and tested in the Caprivi region based on INEE Minimum Standards. Comments and feedback will be incorporated in the development of the planned National School Manual on Emergency Preparedness and Response planned for 2010 with funding from UNICEF ESARO. For more information contact Goeril Tomren - g.tomren(a)unesco.org.
