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Earthquake Preparedness Initiatives for School
Safety in Major Cities of Bangladesh
Dr. A. S. M. Maksud Kamal National Expert,
Earthquake and Tsunami Preparedness Component,
Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme
(CDMP), Ministry of Food and Disaster
Management Md. Anisur Rahman, Asian Disaster
Preparedness Centre (ADPC)
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Why School.?

• 5,953 educational institutions were affected
  during Pakistan Earthquake (17th November 2005),
  which killed around 19000 students and 875
  teachers in the territory

• Children are amongst the most vulnerable group
• There is a multiplier effect of educating the
  public through the children
• Schools are often used as evacuation centers
  during a disaster event
• Educational institutions are a major public
  infrastructure, which can create long-lasting
  impact on future generations

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Damage to Academic Institutions
Damage at Charleston College, 1886 Earthquake of
August 31, 1886, Charleston, South Carolina,
U.S.A
A student is Trapped inside a collapsed school
building in 2008 Sichuan earthquake
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School Specific safety Programme in Bangladesh
Considering the Reality, Comprehensive Disaster
Management Programme (CDMP), under the Ministry
of Food and Disaster Management of Bangladesh
Government has taken initiatives for School
safety with Regard to Earthquake in three Major
Cities
Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) is
implementing the initiative through.

• Preparation of Seismic Hazard Maps and School
  Building Assessment
• Training for school teachers on earthquake
  preparedness programming for school children
• Dissemination of information on earthquake
  preparedness for school children.
• Earthquake Safety Drills
• Identification of Evacuation Route

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School Building Assessment
Earthquake Vulnerability assessment of 60
buildings in three Cities
28 schools ToT 60 teachers Students received
direct training of the drills 2800
School building Assessment Using Smith Hammer,
Ferro scan, altar sonic devise
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Preparation of Earthquake Evacuation Plan for
School

• Activities
• Survey of Schools considering layout of the
  school buildings, fields and surrounding
  environment.
• Use of Signs at required places to guide the
  students towards evacuation places.
• Evacuation plan is hanged at main areas of each
  school so that students can understand the plan
  and follow it.

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ToT Training for school teachers on earthquake
preparedness programming for school children

• Activities
• Development of Training Manual for Earthquake
  Safety and Preparedness for the teachers
• Orientation workshops for school principals and
  technical officers
• Train the teachers practically in the field to
  prepare for earthquake evacuation and drill
  practice.

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Dissemination of information on earthquake
preparedness for school children

• Activities
• Class lecture for school children to disseminate
  ideas about earthquake and preparedness in this
  regard
• Train the students to prepare for Mock drill
  exercise in the schools along with the teachers.

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Earthquake Safety Drills

• Activities
• Students were divided into several groups to play
  different role during an earthquake.
• Demonstration took place in the respective
  schools premises where evacuation routes were
  identified earlier and marked with different
  arrows.

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Sustainability of the Training

• Awareness raising poster for wide disseminations
  of the training in simplified way
• Involvement of school curriculum board with the
  training
• Involvement of city corporations with the
  training
• Institutionalizing of the training through
  inter-ministerial process

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THANKS
http//www.smate.wwu.edu/teched/geology/eq-schools
.html