Education and outreach as tools against natural disasters

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David Brusi

The catastrophic effects of the DANA¹ in the eastern regions of the Iberian Peninsula have once again highlighted the necessity of approaching the diagnosis of such events and the measures required to mitigate their impact through a multidisciplinary lens.

Addressing the analysis and proposals of the natural risks effectively requires contributions not only from experts across diverse fields but also from public administrations and relevant organisations.

The most basic manuals on risk management outline the “three P” rule for addressing dangers: Prediction, Prevision, and Prevention. All three terms share the prefix pre, indicating that they must be applied in anticipation of a disaster. Regarding prediction, meteorological forecasting plays a crucial role, especially in the context of the increasing frequency of such phenomena due to climate change.

Prevision implies a more in-depth predictive approach, enabling us to estimate the probability of an event occurring while considering both natural and human-induced factors influencing the process or its consequences. In this regard, the perspective of geology is indispensable. Geomorphology and geological records provide evidence of Earth’s dynamics specific to each region. Flood hazard mapping is equally critical. It is essential to remember that natural disasters stem from the interaction between human activities and potentially hazardous natural processes. Consequently, urban planning and the assessment of the impact of engineering works are of undeniable importance.

Preventive actions aim to minimise the material and human damages caused by natural risks. Structural measures, such as containment or reinforcement works, play a vital role in mitigating risk by addressing the intensity or effects of such processes. However, this does not imply that the complete land development of river courses should negate their hydrogeological and ecological functions. Additionally, implementing early warning systems, evacuation plans, and emergency management strategies is paramount. These efforts must be underpinned by legislation that regulates these aspects and political and administrative accountability to ensure compliance.

Yet, the human impact of natural disasters often overlooks a crucial fact: the public and individual perception of risk is rooted in education. While chance will always play a role, education reduces our vulnerability to natural risks. A scientifically informed citizenry saves lives, protects property, and facilitates more informed personal and collective decision-making. Information and awareness must be fostered by the various bodies responsible for risk management across state, regional, and municipal levels.

Formal education about risk, however, is primarily the responsibility of educational administrations and teachers, who must deliver it through relevant subjects. Following recent educational reforms in Spain, geology is being phased out of school curricula. Earth sciences should be integrated into educational programmes with an emphasis equivalent to that of other basic sciences. These topics should be mandatory in all levels of compulsory education and not restricted to the science and technology track in Bachillerato (upper secondary education). The weighting assigned to geology in university entrance examinations does little to improve this situation. The subject’s importance should be uniformly established across Spain, rather than left to the discretion of individual universities or autonomous communities. Geology provides essential conceptual foundations for numerous university degrees. To illustrate this decline: in 2014, approximately 3,200 students in the Valencian Community sat for the university entrance exam in geology. By 2024, this figure had dropped to just 103—a trend mirrored across the country.

Faced with this concerning reality, AEPECT (the Spanish Association for the Teaching of Earth Sciences), alongside the Geological Society of Spain, the Association of Deans of Geology, and the Official College of Geologists, spearheaded the mobilisation of 33 Spanish societies and organisations related to Earth sciences. In 2021, these groups endorsed the “Manifiesto por una adecuada presencia de la Geología en el currículo de la LOMLOE” (Manifesto for an Adequate Presence of Geology in the LOMLOE Curriculum) which was submitted to the Ministry of Education and all parliamentary groups in the Spanish Congress.

Beyond the educational system, the scientific community addressing natural risks requires the active collaboration of media outlets. In raising public awareness about the phenomena that cause disasters and the preventive measures that can mitigate their effects, the media must play a fundamental educational role, amplified by the reach of social networks.

At the IV Congreso sobre Comunicación Social de la Ciencia, held in Madrid in 2007, the authors of a presentation posed several pertinent questions: Is it logical that in the 21st century, we continue attributing the consequences of disasters to the “unpredictable forces of nature”? Do disaster reports adequately utilise their impact to provide objective information about these phenomena? And beyond the tragedy, why do the media rarely offer information on preventive measures against risks?

Some answers to these questions were encapsulated in a proposal for a “Código de buenas prácticas informativas sobre catástrofes naturales” (Code of Good Informative Practices on Natural Disasters), later published in the journal Enseñanza de las Ciencias de la Tierra. It remains accessible in its digital version.

The catastrophe caused by the DANA in eastern Spain is not an extraordinary phenomenon. Natural risks are a repeated manifestation of Earth’s dynamics, and their effects may intensify in the future due to the increasing territorial extent of human activity. Among the measures of prediction, prevision, and prevention, education and outreach must play a vital role.

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¹Isolated upper-level low-pressure system

Source: educational EVIDENCE

Rights: Creative Commons