Strengthen Disaster Preparedness for Effective Response on Young People through Geography Education: A Case Study at School in the Tsunami Affected Area of Banda Aceh City, Indonesia

Abstract

Many initiatives can be carried out by the school community, directly or indirectly, contributing to strengthening disaster preparedness capacity. As a social subsystem inseparable from society, schools have the potential to act as the main actors in building community response and preparedness towards disasters through education. This study aims to build a school-community response and preparedness of the younger generation in tsunami risk areas in the city of Banda Aceh. Analysis of findings from a study in high school in the city of Banda Aceh to explain integration of geography education and disaster preparedness in learning situations. It also explored the contribution of geography education in strengthening students' response and preparedness to the occurrence of natural disasters and natural hazards. The study was conducted using a case study methodology. Data collection involved interviews with teachers, questionnaire surveys to teachers and students in 10 high schools in the city of Banda Aceh. This study shows that there is a positive contribution to geography education on strengthening student response and preparedness. This can be an active support and needed for schools in disaster-prone areas. Finally, geography learning is an appropriate vehicle for disaster education in the context of disaster risk reduction.