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Understanding

Aardbevingenwijzer is a long-term educational initiative offering free educational resources and guest lessons to primary schools in Groningen, focusing on earthquake preparedness, emotional coping, and scientific understanding related to earthquakes caused by local gas extraction. It is developed in the Dutch province of Groningen.

Case

The "SMURD Mobile Training Center / Caravan – Be prepared" project is a truck-based mobile classroom providing hands-on first aid and emergency preparedness training to various locations in Romania.
It includes lectures and demonstrations using equipment and simulators, led by IGSU/SMURD staff.
The goal is to increase citizens' ability to respond appropriately when "every second counts," reducing the risks associated with events such as fires, floods, or earthquakes.

Case

A role-playing game that simulates a cyber-attack on a community's critical infrastructure. Participants must collaborate to prioritize resources, communicate with the public, and maintain essential services under stress.

Contribution

“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

The Fire Kills campaign (UK) aims to reduce deaths and injuries from home fires by promoting prevention, early detection, and escape plans. The focus is on increasing the number and proper placement of smoke detectors (including interconnected ones) and improving safe behaviors at home. It offers practical advice on common risks and what to do in the event of a fire. It focuses on vulnerable groups (elderly, disabled, and hearing-impaired) and provides information on possible local home fire safety visits.

Case

The Regional Tsunami Project is a regional initiative launched in 2017 by UNDP with funding from the Government of Japan to strengthen tsunami preparedness in schools and communities across the Asia-Pacific. The project works with governments and school systems to institutionalize risk education and evacuation drills, improve evacuation planning and routes, and make the drills regular and replicable.

Case

RisKIT is an educational game designed for primary schools that combines learning and fun to raise awareness among children about environmental risks and prevention measures. It includes practical exercises such as creating a risk calendar and an emergency kit, while also integrating knowledge of children’s rights in crisis situations. The goal is to develop collaboration and responsibility skills from an early age.

Solution

The kit consists of four thematic sections:

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

“Who’s most at risk?” is a tested and freely available educational toolkit consisting of teacher’s notes, pupil activity sheets, character profiles, key-word lists, chance cards and hazard scenario cards. It supports a 15–20 minute role-play in which pupils adopt the identities of people living in different parts of the world and physically move forwards or backwards according to statements about age, income, education, housing, disability, location and access to information or savings.

Solution