Learning to live with risk

Workshop "ESD and disaster risk reduction: building disaster-resilient societies". Bonn, Germany (31 March - 2 April 2009)

• © UNESCO/P. Chiang-Joo

UNESCO together with UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) and French Association for the Prevention of Natural Disasters (AFPCN) are the coordinating agencies.

Hazards are part of nature but can turn into disasters as a result of human interactions. The continued failure to manage natural resources, the demographic pressure and human settlements in fragile ecosystems and the increased demand on environment, are among the main causes of environmental degradation and comes in addition to the threat of global climate change and rising sea levels. 

The Workshop "ESD and disaster risk reduction: building disaster-resilient societies"

The goal of this workshop is to re-examine the notion of education for disaster reduction and its contributing role in the Decade by successfully confronting disaster risk as a key sustainable development challenge. In correspondence with one of the major thrusts of ESD to reorient curricula towards sustainable development, as identified in Chapter 36 of Agenda 21, the participants of the workshop will review achievements made so far in disaster risk education and identify mechanisms and activities to further promote and strengthen education for disaster risk reduction in formal and non-formal seetings in the second half of the Decade.  

The workshop is organized by UNESCO, UNISDR and AFPCN in close collaboration with UNICEF, DKKV, COGSS, InWent, GTZ, UNU and others, involved in disaster risk reduction education. The session will serve as a follow-up to a number of activities undertaken by UNSDR Thematic Platform on Knowledge and Education in promoting education for disaster risk reduction.

The session will build around the following five strategic themes, to be introduced through best practices and challenges at international, national, regional, and local level.

• Strategic theme 1: 'Advocacy to policy makers'
• Strategic theme 2: 'Capacity Building'
• Strategic theme 3: 'Formal education'
• Strategic theme 4: 'Non-formal education'
• Strategic theme 5: 'Educational infrastructure"

The workshop will involve a range of actors from the education and disaster risk reduction sectors and will foster an interaction between experts in disaster risk reduction and decision makers and civil society representatives active in ESD. It is expected to enhance cooperation in developing effective strategies towards implementation of disaster risk reduction education within the framework of ESD.

The workshop session on "ESD and Disaster Risk Reduction: Building Resilient Societies" is aiming at a fruitful interaction between disaster risk reduction experts and educational community to raise their awareness and to advocate for further consideration of education for disaster risk reduction as an Education sector's agenda in disaster-prone countries. The workshop will be pursued as a follow-up opportunity for high level advocacy on the subject. It will also highlight the issue of education for disaster risk reduction as one of the important areas within the ESD and is aimed to better integrate the education for disaster risk reduction into the second half of DESD.

Related links:
:: Workshop session information outline [.pdf]
:: Concept note of the workshop session [.pdf]
:: UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development (More)
:: Building Understanding and Awareness (More)

Contact:
:: K. Tovmasyan, Assistant Programme Specialist, Disaster Reduction and Renewable Energy Section

• Source:UNESCO SC
• 25-03-2009