Skip to main content

Developed

Developed infrastructure but with some limitations

The Student Volunteer Army (SVA) is a youth-led, university- and school-based volunteer initiative in New Zealand, focused on building resilient communities through crisis response and ongoing community support. The organisation mobilises tens of thousands of volunteers to assist communities during and after disasters, while cultivating a culture of service and leadership among young people. Partnerships with organisations and funders amplify SVA’s reach and impact.

Case

“Terremoti d’Italia” (Earthquakes of Italy) is a touring exhibition promoted by the Italian Department of Civil Protection, designed to raise public awareness and understanding of seismic risk in Italy. The project combines scientific knowledge, historical memory, technological innovation, and experiential learning to strengthen a culture of prevention. Through an accessible, interactive, and multidisciplinary approach, the exhibition engages citizens of all ages, particularly young people, encouraging them to take an active role in disaster risk reduction.

Case

Ready.gov provides a comprehensive framework for individual and community preparedness, focusing on four pillars: staying informed, making a plan, building a kit, and getting involved.

Contribution

ARC’s CBDP toolkit helps communities turn data on risks, vulnerabilities, and capacities into a practical disaster preparedness and response plan. It was developed in Afghanistan, where poverty, weak infrastructure, and environmental degradation increase the impact of floods, droughts, landslides, and other hazards. The approach is participatory (focus groups, observation, feedback) and involves local structures such as the CDMC/CDC, with actions phased into emergency, short, medium, and long-term. It also integrates environmental aspects and climate projections.

Solution

In emergency situations, the rights of children and adolescents risk being violated, ignored, or underestimated due to the need to intervene quickly on aspects related to primary needs. Based on experience gained internationally and in national emergency contexts, Save the Children Italia offers practical recommendations to ensure safety, educational continuity, psychological support, and child participation, emphasizing respect for children’s rights and strengthening community resilience.

Solution

This manual represents a practical and concrete support to all operators working in emergency settings in carrying out educational activities with children and adolescents in emergency situations.

Due to its sudden nature, an emergency disrupts and significantly alters the daily life and linearity of educational interventions. It is therefore crucial to restore routine and the psycho-physical well-being of the children involved.

Solution

Feel Safe VR Experience is an immersive educational project by Save the Children Italia that uses virtual reality to teach children and adolescents how to respond safely to emergencies. Through interactive simulations of earthquakes, floods, and wildfires, participants develop practical safety skills, resilience, and awareness. The project emphasizes participation, inclusivity, and engagement to foster responsible young citizens.

Solution

A structured system where Japanese municipalities and welfare institutions create personalized evacuation strategies for vulnerable people, verified through inclusive drills and coordinated with local support networks.

Contribution

MAG-DER coordinates a standardised neighbourhood disaster volunteer model built on a 36-hour training programme (theory and fieldwork), volunteer team organisation, and “Neighbourhood Disaster Support Centers” (equipment containers) linked via radio to provincial crisis structures, with volunteer-led maintenance and periodic checks.

Case

Safecast designs and deploys open hardware and software tools that enable citizens and experts to collect, share and access high-quality environmental data. Originating from a post-disaster information gap, Safecast promotes transparency, public trust and evidence-based decision-making through open data and community-driven monitoring.

Contribution