Primer on Natural Disaster Preparedness and Coping Mechanisms

Human beings, along with other life forms, have always been subject to natural hazards and environmental disasters. But natural hazards need not be natural disasters if both the general public and the government are well prepared for coping with these. Protective preventive action is possible, especially when advance knowledge of the nature and occurrence of such phenomenon is available to the general public. This primer is limited to three natural hazards- earthquakes, volcanic eruption, and tsunamis. Its goal is toward disaster preparedness and hazard mitigation. specifically, each topic covers four parts: A. Basic Understanding about the Phenomenon/Event; B. What To Do Before the Event; C. What To Do During the Event; D. What To Do After the Event. A section "How to Cope with the Traumatic Experience During and After a Disaster," has been added. There are also activities that can be integrated in science, social studies and other relevant subjects. This material includes the criteria for integration of natural disaster concepts in the curriculum. Countries which experience similar disasters can readily adapt this material. (UNEsCO)