SDG Evening Conference on Safer, More Resilient Schools Through Safer Communities: International Case Studies

Part of the UCL Humanitarian Institute Evening Conference Series on the Sustainable Development Goals

17:30 - 19:00: Speaker panel

19:00 - 20:30: Reception including exhibits/ posters

Convener: Dr Carmine Galasso, UCL CEGE

Open to: Students | Academics | Alumni | Public

Admission: FREE but you must register via eventbrite

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Access to education is a basic human right. It is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and education is strongly associated with poverty reduction. Providing facilities to educate children requires construction of school buildings and rapid expansion of curricula. However, in the rush to fulfil the right to education, are children being put at risk? What attention is being given to structural safety during the construction of new school facilities?

When the M 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal on 25 April 2015, it caused the total or partial collapse of more than 2,000 and damaged over 5,000 schools. The massive disruption caused by the earthquake and aftershocks on school infrastructure has reverberated into children's development. This tragedy is not an exception - each year natural hazards around the world have had devastating effects on children's education. Typhoon Haiyan damaged more than 2,500 schools and affected 1.4 million children in the Philippines in 2013. The recent floods in Malawi affected hundreds of schools, disrupting the education of more than 350,000 children.

A safer and resilient school can save valuable lives of children, provide a safe haven for the local community, serving as a temporary shelter and helping to bring normalcy back to society in times of disaster.

This evening conference will feature a number of presentations and posters on international case studies aiming at assessing multi-hazard risk and increasing resilience of school facilities in ODA countries, with special focus on Philippines, Indonesia, Nepal, and China

Speakers:

Prof Andres Winston Oreta and Prof Lessandro Garciano, De La Salle University, Philippines

Prof Stefano Grimaz, UNESCO Chair on Intersectoral Safety for DRR & Resilience, University of Udine, Italy

Dr Ella Meilianda, Tsunami and Disaster Mitigation Research Center, Indonesia

Laisa Daza Obando, the World Bank Group, USA

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Part of the UCL Humanitarian Institute Evening Conference Series on the Sustainable Development Goals, in conjunction with UCL EPICentre, UCL IRDR, De La Salle University (DLSU), Manila, Philippines, Tsunami and Disaster Mitigation Research Center (TDMRC), Banda Aceh, Indonesia, and The World Bank (WB) Group, Washington DC, USA

This event will be followed by a Masterclass on Safer, More Resilient Schools Through Safer Communities on Friday 19th October.