UNESCO Exhibition of Didactic Tools on Natural Disaster Reduction

26 August to 1st September 2006 The UNESCO Exhibition of Didactic Tools on Natural Disaster Reduction took place in Davos, alongside the IDRC referred to above. It has been estimated that close to 600 participants visited the exhibition over the week and it has been suggested that it be presented in other places. This multilingual exhibition gives a new vision in terms of strategy, since it appeals to children's creativity. Thus, it shows how to build up a culture of safety and to resist the effects of disasters through education. It also shows what primary and secondary schools, among other social groups, can do, while playing and innovating. The exhibition includes some interesting innovations and some good practices in the formal public and private education systems (primary, secondary and tertiary), vocational and professional training courses, but also NGOs' and community-based initiatives.

Although far from being exhaustive, the exhibition includes contributions from 11 international and regional organizations, NGOs, and national institutions from 47 countries, representing the 5 continents. This exhibition will be updated and enriched with new contributions in the future. Any new contribution is therefore welcome. Supports include so far 91 DVDs, VHS K7, CD Roms and films), 102 posters, 162 brochures, manuals, publications, and 12 games in various languages, representing a wide range of cultures, one of UNESCO's priorities. A catalogue is available. It also lists websites important in the field of disaster reduction education. Any suggestion for inclusion in this list is welcome. The visibility of these tools on the web is enriching. This is why the contents of the exhibition will soon be accessible on UNESCO Natural Disaster webpage, under "Prevention ( Tools)", left column.
Among the highlights of the exhibition, was the presentation of an earthquake simulator, made by the French firefighter NGO "Pompiers de l'Urgence Internationale", based in Limoges. This earthquake simulator, invented by Commandant Philippe Besson, present at the Conference, computer-operated, reproduces simultaneously, with video and audio support, the 4 types of seismic waves (P, S, Love, Rayleigh), as they happened in Rambervillers (France), Boumerdés (Algeria), or Izmit (Turkey) and Kobe (Japan). The President of the IDRC, who tried the earthquake simulator, recognized the importance of such a tool to educate and inform communities, and in particular children, about disaster and earthquake preparedness through personal experience. The exhibition also featured a presentation made by Koichiro Miyara, Coordinator for the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) of a Bururu shaketable showing how buildings should be built in a safer way in order to withstand earthquakes.

Participants are invited to report on their continuing activities and findings and to share their experiences with IDRC Davos. Periodic progress reports and assessments will be made available on the conference website. This information will be transmitted to the ISDR system.

If you need more details, please contact the moderator of this exhibition, Laurette Gosso, Division of Basic and Engineering Division.

Contact K. Miyara concerning the Bururu shaketable.
Link for the French Firefighter NGO "Pompiers de l'Urgence Internationale" www.pompiers-urgence.org

This exhibition would not have been possible without the kind contribution of:

International and Regional Organisations
Council of Europe - EUR-OPA Major Hazards Agreement
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), "Environment for Europe" process, Geneva
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) - Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at a Local Level (APELL), Paris
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)'s Sectors and -Programmes:
- Education Sector, and its Associated Schools Project Network (ASPnet) and Mondialogo Project (Mondialogo School Contest)
- Science Sector: Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) Netherlands, Vlaanderen, International Flood Program, Man and the Biosphere Programme
- UNESCO Courier
- And its regional offices (Bangkok, Bangladesh, Hanoi, Islamabad, and Korea)
United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) France
United Nations, International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR)
International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR), Unit for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC Unit)
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Geneva
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

Regional organisations:

Centro Regional de Informacion sobre Desastres (CRID)
Coordination Centre for the Prevention of Natural Disasters in Central America (CEPREDENAC)

National institutions and NGOs:

Algeria (Built Environment Res. Lab. (LBE), University of Bab Ezzouar (USTHB), Faculty of Civil Engineering, Alger)

Australia (Emergency Management Australia (EMA))

Bangladesh (Action Aid Bangladesh (AAB) and Bangladesh Red Crescent Society)

Bulgaria (Centre européen sur la formation scolaire et la prévention des risques (CLST))

Costa Rica (Observatorio Vulcanologico y Sismologico de Costa Rica, Universidad Nacional (OVISCORI/UNA)), and Comision nacional de prevencion de riesgos y atencion de emergencias (CNE), Municipalidad de San José

Cyprus (Civil Defense)

France
Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM) Orléans
Centre Méditerranéen de l'Environnement (CME), L'Isle-sur-la Sorgue
Centre National d'Enseignement à Distance (CNED), Futuroscope Cedex
Centre Régional de Documentation Pédagogique (CRDP) Paris
Centre Régional de Documentation Pédagogique (CRDP) Grenoble
Centre Régional de Documentation Pédagogique (CRDP) Montpellier
Croix Rouge Française
ÉDUCAGRI éditions ENESAD-CNERTA Dijon
Geoazur, UNICE
Institut des risques majeurs (IRMa)
Ministère de l'Ecologie et du Développement durable (MED)
Office de l'environnement de la Corse
Pompiers de l'urgence Internationale
Prévention 2000

Georgia (Major Disasters Agreement of Council of Europe)

Germany (German Committee for Disaster reduction (DKKV) and Freiburg University)

Greece (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC/CSEM), the Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO), and the Hellenic National School of Public Health (NSPH)

Haiti (UNESCO National Commission)

Hungary (National Directorate General for Disaster Management)

India (Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS), All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI), and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP)

Iran (International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (IIEES))

Italy
Parco Nazionale del Vesuvio
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) - Sezione di Bologna Biblioteca Via Donato Creti, 12 - 40128 Bologna - I Romano Camassi

Japan (Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU Education), Tokyo, the Natural Disaster Youth Summit (NDYS), Japan Education and Resource Network (JEARN) , and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA))

Korea (Partnership Schools Team Korean National Commission for UNESCO)

Lithuania (Civil Protection Training Centre of Fire fighters training school, Vilnius)

Moldavia (EUR-OPA Major Hazards Agreement, European Associated Center in Flood Problems (EACFP))

Mexico (Centro nacional de prevención de desastres (CENAPRED)/JICA)

Monaco (Direction de l'éducation nationale, de la jeunesse et des sports)

New Zealand (Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management (CDEM), Wellington, and the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO (Associated School Network))

Palestine (Red Crescent Society, Ramallah, Jerusalem)

Portugal (Sociedade de Geografia de Lisboa)

Romania (National Centre for Seismic Risk Reduction (NCSRR), Ministry of Transport Constructions and Tourism (MTCT), the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, Bucharest), and the Japan International Cooperation Agency Romania Office (JICA)

South Africa (North-West University)

Spain (Estrategia Internacional para la Reduccion de Desastres, (EIRD))

Sudan (Sudanese Red Crescent Society, and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Khartoum)

Tajikistan (Central Asia Region Earthquake Safety Initiative (CARESI))

Turkey
Bogazici University, Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute's Disaster Preparedness Education Program, Istanbul
Earthquake Research Department (ERD), Ankara
Avalanche Research-Development, Reconnaissance and Prevention Branch (ÇAGEM), Ankara
JICA Turkey Office
Centre Européen de Formation sur les Risques Naturels (AFEM), Ankara
Lycée français St Joseph d'Istanbul

USA (International tsunami Information Centre (ITIC), Hawaii, the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC), Hawaii and the National Science Foundation (NSF))

Viet Nam (Development Workshop France (DWF), Bordeaux)

Zambia (African Center for Disaster Studies (ACDS))

Risk Red, USA
Provention Consortium, Geneva
Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE)