FLOOD03743

• County: Statewide
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: 25th Annual Celebration Hazards Research and Applications Workshop
• Date: 7/9/2000
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

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Stephen O. Bender
Principal Specialist
Unit of Sustainable Development and Environment
Organization of American States
1889 F Street, N. W.
Washington, D.C. 20006
Tel. [phone]
Fax [phone]
email: [e-mail]

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EDUPLANbemlsferico
Hemispberic Action Plan for Vulnerability Reduction in lbe Edncatlon Sector to Socio-Natural Disasters

Education and its influence on the behavior of different agents in society is a determining factor in the creation and reduction of
conditions of vulnerability and natural disasters. Advances in disaster prevention can be achieved through education.

In 1992, the Organization of American States (OAS) initiated a process to create and implement a hemispheric action plan for
disaster reduction in the education sector. This broad process of consultation and consensus-building begun by the OAS and
supported by the intenlational, regional and national organizations culminated with the adoption ofEDVPLANhemisferico, a
Hemispheric Plan of Action for the Reduerion of the Vulnerability in the Education Sector to Disasters during the 1st
Hemispheric Conference on Disaster Reduction of the Education Sector.

EDVPLANhemisfOrico is being presented before govemmentaI and non-governmental agencies to gather political, technical, and
financial support for the implementation of programs based on the following areas:

!. Academic Aspects: Changes in the curriculum of primary, secondary, university level education to prepare individuals and
groups from various disciplines to work toward measures for disaster reduction.
2. Public Participation: Training and education of the general public for direct participation in preparedness, response,
prevention and mitigation of natural hazard impacts on populations and their infrastructure.
3. Physical InfrastrUcture: Development of adequate and safe educational buildings resilient to natural hazard events. This
component includes strategies such as planning, design, construction, repair. conditioning and maintenance for the management
and retrofitting of educational buildings related to vulnerability reduction and safety

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EDUPLANhemisferico is implemented through local, national and regional activities supported by Technical Secretariats,
partnering a wide variety of agencies, organizations and educators in collaborative efforts to "voluntarily" reduce vulnerability.
Technical Secretariats $re directly involved with the institutions that operate at the community.level, the educationallevel, the
public administration level, and the geographic area Ieve!. Their actions start locally but offer national, regional and hemispheric
application and impact. They work to develop programs, encourage citizen participation in making schools safer, and link with
experts focusing on the school infrastructure.

Technical Secretariats sre emerging throughout the hemisphere with agencies, organizations and institutions willing to commit
time, personnel and (when available) funds to support the mitigation efforts. As of May 2000, five Technical Secretariats have
been established. The Universidad NacionaI de Trujillo in Peru serves as the General Coordinator of EDUPLANhemisferico. In
the U.S., a Technical Secretariat has been established at Texas Women's University.

EDUPLANhemisfOrico is actively seeking additional Technical Secretariats among all interested institutions in the public and
private sectors committed to disaster reduction of the education sector. Of particular importance is the participation of networks
of community-based NGOs,
professional associations, technical associations, and development assistance institutions.

If you are interested in learning more about EDUPLANhemisferico or becoming a Technical Secretariat, please contact:

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Dr. Brenda Phillips of the Texas Women's University at [e-mail]@hotmail.com
Ing. Jesus Angel Chavez Machado of the Universidad NacionaI de Trujillo in Peru at [e-mail]
The Natural Hazards Project of the Unit of Sustainable Development ofthe OAS at [e-mail]

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The Technical Secretariats will meet in Venezuela in September 2000 for the 2nd Hemispheric Conference on Disaster
Reduction of the Education Sector.

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