Improving resilience through education driven by earthquakes and pandemics

Napredak u tehnici i prirodnim znanostima usmjeren smanjenju rizika od nepogoda pruža znanja o mehanizmima prirodnih opasnosti, uključujući procese koji ih pretvaraju u katastrofe. Takva znanstvena saznanja nude rješenja za izbjegavanje ranjivosti infrastrukture i društva. Područje Republike Hrvatske nalazi se na tektonski vrlo aktivnom području, čiju aktivnost dokazuju mnogi potresi zabilježeni kroz povijest. Depresivnost, posttraumatski stresni poremećaj, anksioznost i razni strahovi, najčešće su posljedice koje potres ostavlja na djeci i mladima. Rezilijentnost je sposobnost pojedinca da primjereno odgovori na stres koja se uči, vježba i razvija, pri čemu važnu ulogu imaju škola i edukacija. Djeca moraju znati da su potresi prirodne pojave i da se pojavljuju iznenada, ali isto tako moraju znati kako se ponašati ako do njih dođe, obzirom da živimo na seizmički aktivnom području. Stoga treba od najranije dobi djecu educirati i pripremati na mogućnost pojave potresa ali i drugih prirodnih katastrofa.Advances in engineering and science dedicated to disaster risk reduction provide knowledge about the mechanisms of natural hazards including the processes that transform them into disasters. Such scientific knowledge gives solutions to mitigating the vulnerability of infrastructures and societies. The territory of the Republic of Croatia is in a tectonically very active area whose activity has been proven by numerous earthquakes registered throughout history. Depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety and fear are the most common effects of an earthquake on children and youth. Resilience is the capacity of an individual to respond appropriately to stress, which is learned, practiced, and developed, and where the school and education play significant role. Children must be aware that earthquakes are natural phenomena that occur suddenly, and they must know how to behave should they occur since we live in a seismically active area. Therefore, it is necessary to educate and prepare the children from their early childhood to the likelihood of occurrence of an earthquake and other natural disasters