Strengthening Capacity of Bali School Teachers on Tsunami Preparedness

The Indian Ocean Tsunami Information Centre (IOTIC) of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission supported UNDP Indonesia in strengthening school teachers’ capacity in Badung district, Bali, on tsunami preparedness. The activity is part of UNDP’s programme on Partnerships for Strengthening School Preparedness for Tsunamis in the Asia Pacific region supported by the Japanese government.

In Indonesia, UNDP implemented this activity in collaboration with the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and IOTIC of UNESCO-IOC. The programme started in 2017 in 9 schools in Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar, and 3 Schools in Bali (Tanjung Benoa, Badung District). This year the activity focuses in Badung District, Bali with the Training of Facilitators of 28 teachers of 14 Schools to be followed up with school action plan and tsunami exercise (drill/simulation).

The training of facilitators was held for 2 days (5 and 6 August 2019) in Sunari Loka Junior High School, in collaboration with the Bali Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) with the support of the Disaster Management Office of Badung District (BPBD Kabupaten Badung) and Department of Education and Sport (DISDIKPORA) of Badung District. The first day of the training, the teachers were trained to be a facilitator for their schools on the topic of Disaster Management, Comprehensive School Safety, and the 5 Parameters of School Disaster Preparedness (Tsunami and Earthquake). On the second day, the training focused on the use of the STEP-A Mobile App, a self-assessment tool for School Tsunami and Earthquake Preparedness Assessment (STEP-A). This tool was developed in 2017 under this UNDP’s programme, based on the original version of the 5 parameters of School Disaster Preparedness for Tsunami and Earthquakedeveloped by UNESCO and LIPI in 2006 with thesupport of UNISDR. The teachers also received training on school tsunami drill/simulation and how to be a good facilitator.

As follow up of this training, the teachers agreed on action plans for the next few weeks, among others, they will conduct school’s capacity assessment in their respective school using STEP-A, develop school action plan on school tsunami disaster preparedness, and plan for a tsunami exercise (drill/simulation) between 26 August to 6 September 2019. The Bali Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) and the Disaster Management Office of Badung District (BPBD Badung) have committed to continue to support these schools in the preparation and implementation of this action plans and possibilities to be included in the BPBD’s safe school programme for 2020.