This document summarizes disaster risk reduction efforts related to education in Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. It finds that while some countries have integrated disaster risk reduction into their education systems, capacity gaps remain across the region. The report recommends promoting knowledge of disaster management and risk behaviors through both formal and non-formal education, as well as strengthening partnerships to further disaster risk reduction initiatives in education.

1. Children and
disasters:
Building resilience
through education

2. Children and
disasters:
Building resilience
© The United Nations Children`s Fund (UNICEF) and The United Nations
International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), December 2011
through education
3
The findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed here are those of the
authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UNICEF and UNISDR, or any
of the agencies involved in this report. These organizations cannot guarantee the
accuracy of the data included in this paper. The boundaries, colours, denominations
and other information shown or mentioned in this paper or any map reported do not
imply on the part of those organizations any judgment of the legal status of any
territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries.
Children and disasters: Building resilience through education

3. Preface Preface
The present report is the outcome of ISDR Europe and Central Asia offices
a collaborative initiative between the and UNICEF Central and Eastern Eu-
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) rope and Commonwealth of Independ-
Regional Office for Central and Eastern ent States regional office have agreed
Europe and Commonwealth of Independ- to join forces to support progress in this
ent States (CEECIS), and the United Na- HFA priority area in the regions of South
tions International Strategy for Disaster Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth
Reduction (UNISDR) offices for Europe of Independent States. This report was
and Central Asia. prepared in support of that initiative. The
objectives are:
The CEECIS region has a history of major
disasters caused by natural hazards, in- to provide a brief overview of major
cluding earthquakes, floods and extreme hazards and disaster risk in the
temperatures. These frequently devas- CEECIS region;
tating events affect all of the popula- to conduct a review of national
tions of the countries involved, with se- disaster risk reduction structures
vere social and economic consequences and key legislation;
for the most vulnerable people, children, to conduct a review of current
women and elderly. However, the impact disaster risk reduction activities
of these natural hazards could be drasti- related to education undertaken by
cally reduced if appropriate disaster risk national agencies and activities by
reduction strategies at regional, national UNISDR and UNICEF1;
and community level were put in place. to conduct a review of on-going
UNICEF country programmes and
The aim of this report is to further con- UNISDR activities to facilitate the
tribute to the process of building resil- effective implementation of disaster
ience of nations and communities in the risk reduction initiatives, strategies
CEECIS region, providing an overview of and programmes.
the national situation vis-à-vis disaster
risk reduction strategies. This report builds on the Hyogo Frame-
work for Action, which is promoted and
Knowledge and education are recog- supported by UNISDR and UNICEF. It fo-
nized as key components of disaster risk cuses on the importance of education in
Preface
management and were made a priority disaster prevention, as advanced in the
area in the Hyogo Framework for Action 2006-2007 World Campaign on Disaster
(HFA) 2005-2015: Building the Resilience Reduction under the slogan Disaster Risk
of Nations and Communities to Disas- Reduction Begins at School. It provides
ters. Goal 2 of the Millennium Develop- general information on national educa-
ment Goals discusses the importance of tion and disaster risk reduction activities
primary education in lowering poverty, and makes recommendations on how to
while Priority 3 of the HFA focuses on support and build on local and national
increasing resilience and building a cul- initiatives to reduce the risk of disasters
ture of safety and resilience at all levels through education. The report is aimed at
through the use of knowledge, innovation government representatives, United Na-
and education. tions and other actors, and practitioners
operating in the context of education,
Within this framework, and as part of disaster risk and sustainable develop-
the broader International Strategy for ment.
Disaster Reduction (ISDR) partnership
in disaster risk reduction (DRR), UN-
4 5
1 Without being exhaustive or comprehensive, reference is also made to ongoing programmes related to education and DRR undertaken by UNCT.
Children and disasters: Building resilience through education Children and disasters: Building resilience through education

4. Executive Summary Executive Summary
This report analyses disaster risk reduc- included elements of disaster risk reduc-
tion in the context of education at coun- tion in the formal education system, while
try level. It reviews existing documents, in others certain activities are undertak-
including country-level reports and HFA en by national and international organiza-
National Reports, to develop an under- tions. Nonetheless, despite some promis-
standing of current national economic ing signs of the adoption of elements of
environments, legislation, awareness, disaster risk reduction significant capac-
capacity and institutional mechanisms ity gaps remain and several countries
related to disaster risk reduction and dis- would undoubtedly benefit from further
aster management. Various project doc- encouragement and support in this area.
uments prepared at country, regional and
global level were also reviewed, as were Integration of disaster risk reduction into
documents prepared by United Nations education is a long-term process which
agencies, and national and international aims to ensure that knowledge about
organizations working in the area. Data hazards, risks and appropriate safety
sources include the Centre for Research behaviour is deeply embedded within
on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) communities, with children as “agents of
Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT). change”. To achieve this there is a need
to promote knowledge of disaster man-
Most countries in the region2 covered by agement and behavioural change with re-
the report have undergone major politi- gard to disaster risks through both formal
cal, social, economic and administrative and non-formal education, while at the
change and this is reflected in the legisla- same time reinforcing partnerships and
tive and institutional aspects of disaster encouraging cooperation on disaster risk
risk management. In many countries leg- reduction policies and practices.
islation is in the process of development
and adoption and some structures are yet The report concludes with some propos-
to be established. In some cases there is als on potential areas of cooperation and
a shift from military to civil administration collaboration, exploring potential syner-
in disaster management structures, while gies between stakeholders and building
in many countries even though much new on results already achieved. After an
disaster risk management legislation has overview of risk vulnerability, existing
been passed the laws are yet to be fully legal and institutional structures and ac-
Executive Summary
implemented or enforced. Furthermore, tivities undertaken by national authori-
many countries of the region lack com- ties, as well as a consideration of on-go-
prehensive national disaster management ing UNICEF programmes and UNISDR’s
plans or clear definitions of the roles and presence, a series of recommendations
responsibilities of different departments. are presented on how successes in the
Overall, there is a need to shift the focus field of education for disaster risk re-
from response to disaster preparedness duction already achieved can be further
and prevention. Incorporating disaster consolidated.
risk reduction into educational activities
at the policy and operational levels will
encourage this shift.
However, when consideration moves to
the level of inclusion of disaster risk re-
duction in education sectors a similarly
diversified picture emerges. In some
countries the government has already
6 7
2 The reference ‘region’ for Central Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States refers to the geographical regional coverage used by
UNICEF. In the context of UNISDR, it refers more to South Eastern Europe (SEE) and Central Asia.
Children and disasters: Building resilience through education Children and disasters: Building resilience through education

5. Acknowledgements Acknowledgements
Children and Disasters: Building Resil- (Programme Officer, Disaster Reduction
ience through education was commis- Programme in Central Asia) and Ms. Asel
sioned jointly by the UNICEF Regional Omoeva (National Programme Officer,
Office for CEECIS and UNISDR offices Kyrgyzstan); Focus Humanitarian As-
for Europe and Central Asia. The report sistance: Mr. Malik Ajani, Jr. (Programme
has benefited from the contributions of Officer, Tajikistan); Central Asian Insti-
many individuals across the region and tute of Applied Geosciences: Dr. Bo-
therefore appreciation goes to each and lot Moldobekov (Co-Director), Ms. Lira
every one of them. Joldubaeva (Senior Scientific Adviser)
and Ms. Aykanysh Omuralieva (Interpret-
Acknowledgements go, first and fore- er, Kyrgyzstan); NGO Man and Element:
most, to HFA Focal Points and National Ms. Svetlana Tuleyeva (Director, Kaza-
Platform Coordinators3 who took time khstan); UNICEF Tajikistan: Mr. Salohid-
to revise and provide information for the din Shamsiddinov (Programme Assistant,
report, and to the National HFA Coordi- Child Protection, Tajikistan); Committee
nators and the UNICEF office represent- of Emergency Situations and Civil De-
atives in the region for their time and ex- fence of Tajikistan: Mr. Kholiknazarov
pertise in reviewing the relevant chapters Sultonnazar and Mr. Jomiev Mahmadali;
and providing invaluable information and Act Central Asia: Ms. Gulbarchin Suyu-
inputs through the online consultations. nova (Representative, Kyrgyzstan);
UNICEF Kyrgyzstan: Mr. Tim Schaffter
The author would like to gratefully ac- (Representative); United Nations Resi-
knowledge the organizers and par- dent Coordinator Unit: Ms. Aynura Alym-
ticipants of both events attended - the bekova (United Nations Disaster Reduc-
Community-Based Disaster Risk Man- tion Adviser, Kyrgyzstan).
agement Workshop, based on the Hyogo
Framework for Action, in Bishkek, Kyr- At the South-Eastern Europe Civil Mili-
gyzstan; and the South Eastern Europe tary Emergency Planning Council’s An-
Civil Military Emergency Planning Coun- nual Meeting and Working Groups Work-
cil’s Annual Meeting and Working Groups shop on Civil-Military Emergency Planning
Workshop on Civil-Military Emergency and Preparedness Development in the
Planning and Preparedness Development SEE Region:
in the SEE Region, in Sarajevo, Bosnia
Acknowledgements
and Herzegovina - for their flexibility to Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herze-
accommodate the last-minute registra- govina: Mr. Samir Agic (Assistant Minister
tions and for their understanding and co- and Head of Civil Protection Sector) and
operation during meetings and interviews Mr. Milivoje Popovic (Head of Depart-
which were held well after regular ses- ment for International Cooperation and
sions4. Coordination within the Civil Protection
Sector); Ministry of Internal Affairs of
The list of interlocutors includes: Montenegro: Mr. Zoran Begovic (Assist-
ant Minister and Head of Emergency Sit-
At the Community-Based Disaster Risk uations and Civil Protection Department);
Management Workshop: National Protection and Rescue Direc-
torate of Croatia: Ms. Arabela Vahtaric
UNISDR Central Asia office: Ms. Goul- (Head of International Cooperation Divi-
sara Pulatova (Senior Advisor) and Mr. sion); Ministry of Interior, General Direc-
Abdurahim Muhidov (Project Coordinator, torate for Civil Emergency of Albania:
HFA); Swiss Agency for Development Mr. Bujar Kapllani (Chief of Civil Protec-
and Cooperation: Mr. Matthias Anderegg tion Coordination Sector) and Mr. Salih
8 9
3 An HFA focal point is defined as the “person officially designated by the State as the primary contact for the implementation of the HFA” (UNISDR. Hyogo
Framework for Action. Available at: http://www.eird. org/wikien/index.php/Hyogo_Framework_for_Action_(HFA).
4 Note -The list below includes titles and names as per the missions in 2009-2010.
Children and disasters: Building resilience through education Children and disasters: Building resilience through education

6. Acknowledgements
Kelmendi (Director of Planning and Coor- for their significant contributions to the
dination CE); Ministry of Defence, Admin- report, as well as to Ms. Lely Djuhari
istration for Civil Protection and Disaster (UNICEF RO CEECIS) for her guidance
Relief of Slovenia: Mr. Branko Dervodel and support in the design and layout of
(Deputy Director General) and Ms. Na- the report.
tasa Horvat (Senior Advisor for Interna-
tional Relations); Prime Ministry, General A sincere appreciation is expressed to
Directorate of Emergency Management Deputy Regional Director Ms. Kirsi Madi,
of Turkey: Mr. Hasan Ipek (General Di- Ed­ cation Advisor Mr. Philippe Testot-
u
rector) and Mr. Mehmet Bayazit, Mr. Ferry, Emergency Chief Ms. Andrea
Fatih Akman and Mr. Adil Ciftci (Assist- James and Communication Chief Mr.
ant Prime Ministry Experts); Macedonian John Budd from UNICEF RO CEECIS
Protection and Rescue Directorate: Mr. as well as Head of the UNISDR Region-
Kosta Jovcevski (Director) and Ms. Dus- al Office for Europe Ms. Paola Albrito.
ka Celeska (Chief of Staff); Macedonian Without their guidance and support, this
Crisis Management Centre: Mr. Urim Ve- report may not have been possible.
jseli (Head of Department for NATO and
International Cooperation); Ministry of Financial contribution was also given by
Emergencies and Affairs of Population Global Facility for Disaster Reduction
Protection from Consequences of Cher- and Recovery. Last but not least, much
nobyl Catastrophe of Ukraine: Mr. Igor appreciation goes to the Government of
Kusliy (Deputy of Director); Ministry of the Netherlands for financial assistance
State Policy for Disasters and Accidents through its global grant to UNICEF for
of Bulgaria: Ms. Antoaneta Boycheva the Education in Emergencies and Post-
(Head of International Cooperation, Crisis Transition programme, which sup-
NATO and EU Department); and Ministry ported the preparation of the initial re-
of Interior and Administrative Reform, port.
General Inspectorate for Emergency
Situations: Brigadier-General Liviu-Viorel Every reasonable effort has been made
Nemes (General Inspector’s First Depu- to verify the accuracy of data and of all
ty) and Mr. Vlad Petre (Expert Officer). the information presented in this report.
The opinions expressed in this publication
UNICEF and UNISDR wish to thank Mr. are those of the contributing authors and
Sergej Anagnosti, who was the author of do not necessarily reflect the policies or
the initial report that formed the basis for the views of UNICEF or UNISDR.
this publication.
We would also like to acknowledge the
dedication and commitment of Mr. Asim
Rehman (UNICEF RO CEECIS) and Ste-
fanie Dannenmann-Di Palma (UNISDR
Europe) in coordinating the design, re-
view and finalization of the report.
Special thanks go to Ms. Goulsara Pula-
tova and Ms. Erin Tanner (UNICEF RO
CEECIS), Mr. Ranjith George (UNISDR
Europe Consultant), Mr. Demetrio Inno-
centi (UNISDR Europe) and Mr. Abdu-
rahim Muhidov (UNISDR Central Asia)
10
Children and disasters: Building resilience through education

7. Table of contents Table of contents
Preface ...................................................................... 4
Executive Summary ............................................... 6
Acknowledgements ................................................. 8
Abbreviations ............................................................14
Background ............................................................ 18
Methodology .......................................................... 22
Data Issues and Terminology Used ..................... 25
Brief Country Profiles ...................................... 28
Albania ........................................................ 32
Armenia ...................................................... 38
Azerbaijan ................................................. 46
Belarus ....................................................... 54
Bosnia and Herzegovina ....................... 58
Bulgaria ...................................................... 65
Croatia ....................................................... 70
Georgia ...................................................... 78
Kazakhstan ............................................... 88
Kyrgyzstan ................................................ 98
Moldova ..................................................... 108
Montenegro ............................................. 112
Romania .................................................... 117
Russia ........................................................ 123
Serbia ......................................................... 128
Kosovo under Security Council
Resolution 1244 ........................................134
Slovenia .................................................... 138
Tajikistan ................................................... 142
The former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia ............................................... 150
Turkey ...................................................... 157
Turkmenistan .......................................... 165
Table of contents
Ukraine ...................................................... 172
Uzbekistan ............................................... 176
Conclusions and
Recommendations .............................................. 183
End Notes ............................................................ 188
12 13
Children and disasters: Building resilience through education Children and disasters: Building resilience through education

8. Abbreviations Abbreviations
ABSD Area-Based Social Development
ADRC Asian Disaster Reduction Centre
AFAD Prime Ministry Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency
AL-DRMAP Albania Disaster Risk Mitigation and Adaptation Project
ARCS Armenian Red Cross Society
ARNAP Armenian National Platform
ARS Armenian Rescue Service
AzRC Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society
BiH Bosnia and Herzegovina
CAC DRMI Central Asia and Caucasus Disaster Risk Management Initiative
CADRI Capacity for Disaster Reduction Initiative
CAIAG Central Asian Institute of Applied Geosciences
CCA/UNDAF Common Country Assessment/UN Development Assistance Framework
CEE Central and Eastern Europe
CEP Civil-Emergency Planning
CIS Commonwealth of Independent States
CMEP SEE Civil Military Emergency Planning Council for South Eastern Europe
CMT Centroid-Moment-Tensor
CoE Council of Europe
CoES Committee of Emergency Situations
CORE Cooperation for Rehabilitation Programme
CPAP Country Programme Action Plan
CPESS Civil Protection and Emergency Situations Service
CRED Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters
DFID Department for International Development
DIPECHO Disaster Preparedness ECHO
DKKV German Committee for Disaster Reduction
DMI State Meteorological Service
DMT Disaster Management Team
DPPI Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Initiative
DRMP Disaster Risk Management Project
DRR Disaster Risk Reduction
DSI Directorate General of State Hydraulic Works
Abbrevations
EADRCC Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre
ECHO European Commission Humanitarian Aid department
ECO Economic Cooperation Organization
EFDRR European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction
EIEI Directorate General of Electrical Power Resources Survey and Development
Administration
EMD Emergency Management Department
EM-DAT Global Database on Disasters
EMERCOM Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters
ENDP Education for Natural Disaster Preparedness
ESSC Emergency Situation State Council
EU European Union
EU-MIC European Union Monitoring and Information Centre
EUR-OPA European and Mediterranean Major Hazards Agreement
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization (United Nations)
FTI Fast Track Initiative
FYR of Macedonia The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
14 15
Children and disasters: Building resilience through education Children and disasters: Building resilience through education

9. Abbreviations Abbreviations
GDP Gross Domestic Product TESIS Advanced Technologies and Systems for the Knowledge-based Information
GEF SGP Global Environment Facility’s Small Grants Program Society
GFDRR Global Facility for Disaster Risk Reduction UN United Nations
GIES General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations UNCT United Nations Country Team
GIS Geographic Information Systems UNDAC United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination
GNI Gross National Income UNDAF United Nations Development Assistance Framework
GSHAP Global Seismic Hazard Assessment Programme UNDP United Nation Development Programme
HFA Hyogo Framework for Action UNEP United Nations Environmental Programme
IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
IEMS Integrated Emergency Management System UNFPA United Nations Population Fund
IFRC International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies UNHCR The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
IPAP Individual Partnership Action Plan UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund
ISDR International Strategy for Disaster Reduction UNIFEM United Nations Development Fund for Women
ITU Istanbul Technical University UNISDR United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction Secretariat
MCS Mercalli-Cancani-Sieberg scale UNRCCA United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia
MDG Millenium Development Goal US United States
MERY Ministry of Education, Research and Youth USAEC Unique System for Alarming and Emergency Coordination
MES Ministry of Emergency Situations USAID United States Agency for International Development
MEST Ministry of Education, Science and Technology UN-SPIDER United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Manage-
METU Middle East Technical University ment and Emergency Response
MEY Ministry of Education and Youth WB World Bank
MoE Ministry of Education WHO World Health Organization
MoES Ministry of Emergency Situations and Civil Defence WMO World Meteorological Organization
MoU Memorandum of Understanding
NATO North-Atlantic Treaty Organization
NBC Nuclear, Biological, Chemical
NGO Non-Governmental Organization
NP National Platform
NPRD National Protection and Rescue Directorate
NSC National Security Council
OCHA Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (United Nations)
OFDA Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance
PMP Prevention, Mitigation, and Preparedness
PPES Preparedness, Planning and Economic Security
PPRD Programme on Prevention, Preparedness and Response to Natural and Man-
made Disasters
REACT Rapid Emergency Assessment and Coordination Team
RCSK Red Crescent Society of Kyrgyzstan
RCST Red Crescent Society of Turkmenistan
RSES Prevention and Elimination of Emergency Situations
SDC Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
SEECP South East European Cooperation Process
SEEDRMAP South Eastern Europe Disaster Risk Management and Adaptation Program
SEEDRMI South Eastern Europe Disaster Risk Management Initiative
SEM Sector for Emergency Management
SEESIM Southeastern Europe Simulation
SPO State Planning Organization
SSPR State System for Prevention of and Response to emergency situations
TEMAD Turkey Emergency Management General Directorate
16 17
Children and disasters: Building resilience through education Children and disasters: Building resilience through education

10. Background Background
The CEECIS region is highly diversified. Countries in the region are committed
From a geo-political standpoint it con- to increasing knowledge and education
nects the European Union (EU) - with towards risk reduction, as evidenced
Romania and Bulgaria as the most recent by the increased number of high-level
EU members - through the Caucasus and events in the region covering risk reduc-
Central Asia to China; and from Turkey tion issues; increased activities on re-
to Russia. In terms of socio-economic silience; the development of reports on
indicators the diversity is pronounced. It achievements and challenges in moving
ranges from Tajikistan, which has a GNI forward the subject (HFA reports); as
per capita of US$600; through Russia, well as the adaptation of planned activi-
which is a member of the Group of Eight ties and new legislation. Countries with a
leading industrialized nations; to Croatia nominated HFA official and established
and Slovenia, with GNI per capita of National Platform (national coordinating
US$13,570 and US$24,010 respective- mechanisms towards risk reduction) are
ly5. particularly engaged in this topic. There
are a total of seven National Platforms6
However, despite their size and diversity in the CEECIS region, while several other
many countries of the CEECIS region countries have informed UNISDR that
share various common characteristics, they are in the process of developing
including geophysical, social and political them.
contexts. In terms of natural hazards, all
countries of the region are vulnerable to One of the most important lessons to
flooding and almost all are at risk from emerge from the series of devastating
earthquakes, sometimes – such as the disasters worldwide over the past decade
1988 Spitak earthquake in Armenia which is that education and knowledge have the
killed 25,000 people - of devastating power to save lives. In Let Our Children
proportions. Teach Us!7 it was estimated that roughly
1 billion children aged 1-14 live in coun-
In response to the rising number of dis- tries with high seismic risk, which puts
asters and the increased commitment of several hundred million children at risk
nations and communities to implement while they are attending schools. In the
disaster risk reduction activities in the CEECIS region, where earthquake haz-
context of the Hyogo Framework for ards are present in almost all countries,
Background
Action, UNISDR coordinates international the proportion of children at risk is very
efforts in disaster risk reduction and pro- high. Furthermore, schools are equally
vides guidance for the implementation of vulnerable to damage or destruction dur-
the HFA, and also monitors its implemen- ing natural hazards such as strong winds,
tation and reports regularly on progress; landslides and floods.
advocates for greater investment in dis-
aster risk reduction actions to protect Education and knowledge for disaster
people’s lives and assets; campaigns to risk reduction appear as the third priority
build global awareness of disaster risk in the HFA, fostering the “use of knowl-
reduction benefits and empower people edge, innovation and education to build a
to reduce community vulnerabilities to culture of safety and resilience at all lev-
hazard impacts; and informs and con- els”, the overall target being to contribute
nects people by providing services and to a drastic shift in mentalities and per-
practical tools - such as the disaster risk ceptions as well as a behavioural change
reduction community website Preven- towards a more proactive preventative
tionWeb, publications on good practices, approach to disasters. Children, as “to-
country profiles and policy advice. morrow’s leaders” and key “agents for
19
5 From World Bank key development data and statistics; all figures correct as of 2008.
6 The seven Countries with National Platforms in the CEECIS region are Armenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kazakhstan, the
former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey and Russia.
7 Let Our Children Teach Us! A Review of the Role of Education and Knowledge in Disaster Risk Reduction, prepared by
Ben Wisner on behalf of the ISDR system-Thematic Cluster/Platform on Knowledge and Education (Supported by: Action Aid, Council of Europe, UNISDR,
DFID, UNESCO, and ProVention Consortium Secretariat).
Children and disasters: Building resilience through education

11. Background Background
change”, are recognized as the primary programmes and the amount of educa- occur, and also what to do before, during
targets of these efforts. tional material on disaster risk reduction and after they strike.
is substantial in the CEE and CIS region
Through the 2006 - 2007 UNISDR World and many lessons learned can be drawn While it is clear that education has a piv-
Campaign on Disaster Reduction the from each country’s experience in this otal role to play in relief, rehabilitation
theme Disaster Risk Reduction Begins area. Experience in knowledge-sharing and reconstruction, the report finds that
at School was developed to engage and is further embedded in the city campaign gaps remain in the focus on and support
mobilize key stakeholders at the local, promoted by UNISDR: My City is Getting for education in disaster risk reduction,
national, regional and international levels Ready. Many cities in the region have prevention and mitigation. It is therefore
in promoting the integration of disaster embedded the campaign. Presently, 25 critical to embark on programmes and
risk reduction as part of school curricu- cities form part of the campaign, includ- initiatives that would begin to address
la and in facilitating the development of ing 18 cities from Serbia, two each from these shortcomings.
disaster-resilient schools and retrofitting Armenia and Turkey and one each from
of school buildings to withstand natural Tajikistan, Kosovo9 and Croatia.10
hazards.
Since 1990, UNICEF has made ma-
The 2011 Global Assessment Report jor contributions in helping countries to
on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR11) 8 achieve the goal of education for all. In
points out that disasters affect children’s the CEECIS region, UNICEF works to-
medium-term development when schools wards increasing children’s and adoles-
are destroyed or damaged and house- cents’ access to education, improving
hold assets and livelihood assets are lost. the quality of education, expanding ac-
When children are forced out of school, cess to early-childhood education and
this can cause infant malnutrition which promoting emergency preparedness in
can further lead to poor educational the education sector. Advocacy for the
achievement and greater propensity to right of all children to education in emer-
disease. gencies is at the core of UNICEF’s work
in education, as well as measures to re-
Education for disaster risk reduction also store learning opportunities to children
contributes to world efforts in achieving affected by emergencies such as disas-
Target 2 of the Millennium Development ters caused by natural hazards or tech-
Goals on Achieving Universal Primary nological accidents.
Education, as well as the goals of the
United Nations Decade of Education for Increasingly, UNICEF is supporting ini-
Sustainable Development (2005 - 2014) tiatives to predict and prevent disasters
led by the United Nations Educational, and be better prepared should they oc-
Scientific and Cultural Organization cur. This new emphasis was spurred in
(UNESCO), which aims at the develop- part by the devastation and loss of life
ment of the concept of Education for caused by the Indian Ocean earthquake
Natural Disaster Preparedness (ENDP) and tsunami in December 2004 as well
and the overall integration of ENDP into as the potential disaster posed by avian
sustainable development strategies. and pandemic influenza. UNICEF recog-
nises the key role that education can play
The state of development and advance- in reducing the risks posed by disasters
ment in integrating disaster risk reduction and is helping to build capacities by pro-
within school curricula of course varies viding education and training to help with
according to the level of development, prediction, prevention and preparedness
capacities and political commitment for emergencies. Through this training
granted by governments to the issue of children are learning what disasters are,
education. The number of activities and when and where they are most likely to
20 21
8 http://www.preventionweb.net/english/hyogo/gar/2011/en/home/index.html
9 Kosovo under UN SCR 1244/99.
10 To find out more on the campaign visit http://www.unisdr.org/english/campaigns/campaign2010-2011/
Children and disasters: Building resilience through education Children and disasters: Building resilience through education

12. Methodology Methodology
The information contained in this report (SEEDRMI)11; Risk Assessment for Cen-
is based on a variety of sources and is tral Asia and Caucasus: Desk Study Re-
aimed at providing an overall picture of view, developed within the context of the
education related to disaster risk reduc- Central Asia and Caucasus Disaster Risk
tion issues in the region, and at sharing a Management Initiative (CAC DRMI); and
few good practices which can be used to the Structure, Role and Mandate of Civil
determine the main recommendations of Protection in Disaster Risk Reduction for
future activities. Meetings were held and South Eastern Europe, developed within
direct communication was established the context of the South Eastern Europe
with key representatives of national and Disaster Risk Mitigation and Adaptation
international organizations and authori- Programme (SEEDRMAP).
ties active in disaster risk reduction and
disaster management, and other United It should be noted that given the limited
Nations agencies. Such first-hand infor- availability of information the activities
mation was supplemented by a desk re- which are included should be considered
view of existing studies by international as representative rather than compre-
agencies, governments, governmental hensive. Due to the vast number of inter-
and non-governmental organizations, and national organizations and regional ac-
data from a wide spectrum of sources. tors, this report covers only the UNICEF
and UNISDR engagement in the CEECIS
Data on disasters due to natural haz- region. A more comprehensive study was
ards was principally taken from EM-DAT, beyond the scope of this report.
and complemented with data from other
sources. Historic data on the number of Nevertheless, given the extent of the
disaster events, including number of peo- range of material collated and the number
ple killed and affected and economic of key representatives contacted, the
losses incurred, was also assessed from report provides a solid assessment of
1980 to 2010, and information examined exposure to disaster risk at country and
from global databases including the Dis- regional level, including an examination of
aster Risk Index tool of the United Na- current legislation and institutional mech-
tions Development Programme (UNDP), anisms towards disaster prevention and
and World Bank statistics. Information preparedness, and a review of disaster
was provided by key representatives of risk reduction activities undertaken in tar-
Methodology
national disaster management authori- geted countries and the role of education
ties, and national and international organ- in this.
izations active in disaster risk reduction.
United Nations agencies were consulted. The report provides for each country
brief presentations of its disaster risks
In addition to those provided by UNICEF – hazards and vulnerabilities - and insti-
and UNISDR, numerous other documents, tutional framework for disaster manage-
including country programme documents ment. Disaster risk reduction activities re-
and Asian Disaster Reduction Centre lated to education and those undertaken
(ADRC) country reports, were exam- by national authorities and international
ined. The following publications launched and national organizations have also
by the World Bank and UNISDR were been portrayed and presented.
consulted extensively: Risk Assessment
for South Eastern Europe: Desk Study The presence and areas of engagement
Review, developed within the context of other United Nations agencies and na-
of the South Eastern Europe Disaster tional and international partners has been
Risk Mitigation and Adaptation Initiative viewed to explore possible areas of col-
22 23
11 In the CEE and CIS region, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are FTI recipient countries.
Children and disasters: Building resilience through education Children and disasters: Building resilience through education

13. Methodology Data Issues and Terminology Used
laboration, and to avoid the risk of dupli-
cation and overlapping.
The conclusions and recommendations
are the result of a careful analysis of in-
formation collected and interviews held
with stakeholders, both governmental
and non-governmental.
Data Issues and
Terminology Used
24 25
Children and disasters: Building resilience through education Children and disasters: Building resilience through education

14. Data Issues and Terminology Used
Before progressing to the country over- for economic loss data, which is scanty
views, certain data issues and terminol- in EM-DAT.
ogy require clarification.
The majority of countries in the CEECIS
Disasters due to natural hazards are region were formed during the early
time- and space-reference events. His- 1990s, some of them even more recent-
toric data plays a crucial role for hazard ly. Retrospective country-specific data
and vulnerability assessment and analyz- on the EM-DAT database does not ex-
ing historic events and losses helps in un- tend beyond their inaugurations.
derstanding the risks faced by a country
or region. The vulnerability of a country The 2011 Global Assessment Report on
to disasters is often measured in terms Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR11)13 high-
of the total number of events, the number lights that at present, most countries do
of people killed or affected, and the eco- not systematically account for the low
nomic losses. But it should be noted that severity – high frequency losses and the
the impact diffusion of an event often cost of recurrent disaster losses.
extends far beyond the visible physical
damage. Country-level reports and other docu-
ments were also reviewed to gain an un-
The report has used the standard termi- derstanding of hazards and their impact
nology developed by UNISDR12. on targeted countries, but this data was
used only as supplementary information
The report uses data from a variety of due to standardization issues.
sources: national governments, humani-
tarian and disaster relief agencies, spe-
cialist agencies, the media and insurance
company reports. It also uses data pub-
lished in the EM-DAT database for infor-
mation on disasters due to natural haz-
ards. However, it should be noted that in
order for a disaster to be entered into
the EM-DAT database at least one of the
following criteria has to be fulfilled:
10 or more people reported killed;
100 people reported affected;
declaration of a state of emergency;
or
call for international assistance.
It should also be noted that disasters
such as earthquakes often have long re-
turn periods and data representing such
events does not necessarily appear in
the data window covered by EM-DAT.
In such cases other sources of informa-
tion have been used wherever possible
to assess the impacts of such disasters.
Supplementary sources have also been
referred to in several country profiles
26 27
12 http://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/terminology
13 http://www.preventionweb.net/english/hyogo/gar/2011/en/home/index.html
Children and disasters: Building resilience through education Children and disasters: Building resilience through education

15. Brief
Country
28
Profiles 29
Children and disasters: Building resilience through education Children and disasters: Building resilience through education

16. * The official name is Kosovo under UNSCR 1244.
Children and disasters: Building resilience through education Children and disasters: Building resilience through education

17. Brief Country Profiles: Albania Brief Country Profiles: Albania
Hazards and disasters The occurrence of different disasters in
overview the country over the period shows that
Albania was most vulnerable to mete-
Albania’s geographical position and the orological hazards. A flood in September
nature of its topography mean that the 2002 affected nearly 17,000 families, in-
country is frequently affected by intense undated 30,000 hectares of agricultural
precipitation, making it most vulnerable to land, damaged 494 houses and caused
floods. In terms of number of events, EM- reported damage of US$17.5 million.
DAT shows (Table 1) that from 1980 to A more recent flood in 2010 affected
2010 floods accounted for 39 per cent 4,000 families. In terms of victims, the
of disasters, with earthquakes account- 1989 - 1991 drought affected almost the
ing for 17 per cent. The country is also entire nation.
vulnerable to natural hazards including
landslides, droughts, extreme tempera- During the last 30 years, EM-DAT re-
tures, wildfires, wind storms, epidemics ports four earthquakes, killing one per-
and avalanches. son and affecting 7,945 others. Accord-
ing to a scenario analysis carried out in
Table 1 Albania: Summary data on disasters caused by natural hazards (1980
-2010), including number of human casualties and economic impact.
Disaster Number Percentage Total deaths Total affected Economic loss
of events (US$)
Drought 1 4.34 0 3,200,000 0
Earthquake 4 17.39 1 7,945 0
Albania
Epidemic 2 8.69 7 292 0
Extreme 3 13.04 71 7,235 0
temperature
Flood 9 39.13 19 136,984 24,673,000
Mass Movement 1 4.34 57 26 0
(landslide)
Wildfire 1 4.34 0 75 0
Wind Storm 2 8.69 8 525,000 0
Total 23 100 163 3,877,557 24,673,000
32 33
Children and disasters: Building resilience through education Children and disasters: Building resilience through education