Impact of Natural Disasters on Schools in India: Current Scenario in Terms of Policies and Practices

Abstract

In India, almost 85% of its geographical area is vulnerable to one or multiple natural disasters. Twenty-two states in India have multi-hazard zones. When a disaster strikes, schools as integral part of the community play an important role by sheltering, building and enhancing the resilience and cohesiveness amongst community. Disasters usually result in trauma amongst children in addition to the financial and personal loss to the community. The academic sessions run as per schedule; however, children affected by natural disasters are not able to cope up with the academics leading to exclusion from the school system. Unfortunately, in India, so far the schools located in natural disaster-prone areas are not mapped properly. As children suffer, the challenges faced by them are never addressed by current education system and its policies. This paper has focused on the current status of schools in India located in the natural disaster-prone areas with special focus on the policy discourses to address the issues associated with such schools. It will also make an attempt to highlight few best practices where the effects and losses caused by natural disasters are mitigated by means of 'vulnerability reduction'.