Schools as Community Anchors in Disaster Response and Recovery:
Case Studies from the Asia-Pacific.

Date:   June 24 (Mon),  2019

Time:   13:00~14:30

Location:  Osaka University Graduate School of Human Sciences
                  East Wing, 4F Rm. E404

Speaker:  Guest Professor Carol Mutch
                (Coordinator: Prof. Junko Otani)

        * This seminar will be presented in English.

The Asia-Pacific region is the highest disaster-prone region in the world (Ferris & Petz, 2012). As international organisations, national governments and disaster agencies devote more money and energy to disaster mitigation, it is timely to examine research that highlights under-utilised resources. Schools are one such resource. Literature reviews show that while there is literature outlining what schools should do, limited research has been done on the multiple roles schools and school personnel have actually played in assisting their communities post-disaster and much of what is available is anecdotal and fragmented. 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.