Schools as Community Anchors in Disaster Response and Recovery: Case Studies From the Asia Pacific

• In Event: 64.018 - International Perspectives on Schools, Communities, Families, and the State

Abstract

The Asia-Pacific region is the highest disaster-prone region in the world. As international organisations, national governments and disaster agencies devote more energy to disaster mitigation, it is timely to examine research that highlights under-utilised resources. Schools are one such resource. Literature shows that while there is literature outlining what schools should do, limited research has been done on the roles schools have played in assisting their communities post-disaster. This paper reports on seven years of research across six Asia-Pacific countries (Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Nepal, Vanuatu and Samoa) and four disaster types (bushfires, earthquakes, tsunami and cyclones). The combined findings are discussed using a conceptual framework that highlights the concept of schools as community anchors – before, during and after disasters.

Author

• Carol Anne Mutch, University of Auckland