Disaster Risk Reducation Education

On January 1, 2024, a powerful earthquake with an intensity of up to 7.0 struck the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, capturing global attention. The earthquake resulted in extensive damage to residences, road collapses, water and power outages, and even triggered fires, causing combined disasters that severely impacted the lives and safety of local residents. Japan and the Republic of China (R.O.C. Taiwan) are both natural disaster-prone countries. Witnessing the severe aftermath of the earthquake, people in R.O.C. Taiwan generously donated funds and offered prayers for the speedy recovery of the affected areas, once again demonstrating the precious bond of friendship and mutual support between the people of R.O.C. Taiwan and Japan.

Through the Japanese media's coverage of the earthquake in the Noto Peninsula, we witnessed the resilience and spirit of mutual assistance among the Japanese people in times of hardship. Additionally, the Japanese government gained valuable experiences in post-disaster reconstruction and recovery efforts following the 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku (known as the 3.11 earthquake), as well as progressive amendments to disaster education and regulations. These experiences and amendments are highly instructive for R.O.C. Taiwan. Importantly, this edition focuses on two international disaster education exchange events with Japan organized by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in 2024. These events aim to document the achievements of the Shizuoka Prefecture and the Miyagi Prefecture in promoting Disaster Risk Reduction Education (DRRE) and implementing disaster prevention policies.

To broaden the experience of young students, the "International Youth Camp for Disaster Risk Reduction" was arranged by MOE in January this year, aiming to deepen the disaster prevention partnership between the two countries.

This overseas training program included visiting the Shizuoka Prefectural Office to gain insights into both the operations of the Japanese Fire and Disaster Management Agency as well as the history of disasters and disaster prevention measures used during the eruption of Mount Fuji. In addition, it also included experiencing and practicing various wilderness survival skills courses in Gotemba City, exploring the disaster prevention measures history in Shimada City, sharing DRRE experiences with students from Shimada Commercial High School, and finally visiting the Shizuoka Prefectural Earthquake Disaster Prevention Center to attend a lecture for disaster prevention knowledge.

In addition, in March, the “Disaster Prevention Educators from Cities and Counties Launch Overseas Exchange Programs”, formed by local government and special education schools, visited the Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. They visited the Miyagi Prefectural Government Office to gain insights into promotion policies about DRRE. Furthermore, they visited the town of Onagawa to learn about amendments made to disaster recovery and local disaster prevention practices following the 311 tsunami (known as the 3.11 earthquake). This delegation also visited the city of Higashi Matsushima to learn about local disaster preparedness, practices and achievements.

During this itinerary, they went to the Okawa Elementary School, as well as the Miyagi 3.11 Tsunami Disaster Memorial Museum, and the Matsushima Shizennoie. Additionally, they visited multiple schools, including the Miyagi Prefecture Tagajo High School, and Onagawa Special Education School, to investigate how Japanese schools combine various activities, with a scientific perspective, to enhance students' disaster awareness and implement disaster education. The aim was to transform historical disaster experiences and improvement practices into a legacy for facing disasters.

Moreover, they met with the International Research Institute of Disaster Science at Tohoku University to understand the cultivation of disaster prevention volunteers and the scope of their duties in Sendai City. They also learned about the results of utilizing AR/VR technology to assist in promoting disaster education.

These two international disaster education exchange activities have fully showcased the collaborative achievements and partnerships between the Republic of China (R.O.C. Taiwan) and Japan, both at the governmental and grassroots levels, in the fields of disaster education. Considering the significant inspirational benefits these visits to Japan have had on the disaster awareness and the attitudes of the delegation members, it is imperative to sustain exchanges of domestic and international disaster experiences. From international trends in promotion and sharing of case studies, we can draw more practical and innovative directions. Through continuous review and examination, we can refine our disaster education practices and content, making them more pragmatic and feasible.