Disaster Risk Reduction in Meulaboh – Aceh Barat: Interim Report for ARUP

The programme aims to improve the resilience and preparedness of vulnerable communities to cope with natural hazards. The project is co-financed by the U.S. Agency for International Development and is being implemented by ARUP in partnership with Mercy Corps. The project focuses on improving disaster preparedness and risk reduction in schools, with the goal of benefiting over 1,500 students and 176 teachers in 10 elementary schools. The project activities include teacher training, curriculum implementation, forming and training school disaster preparedness teams, developing standard operating procedures, and running disaster simulations in schools. Teacher training is a key component of the project, with 18 teachers from 10 schools participating in a three-day training programme. The training covered topics such as geological configuration and potential disasters in Aceh Province, mainstreaming disaster risk reduction in schools, and developing disaster preparedness in schools. The teachers will now go on to train other teachers in their schools in disaster risk reduction best practices. The project has received full support from local government, including the BPBD Aceh Barat and the Education Office. There is potential for the government to replicate these activities in other disaster-prone areas. The project's impact is evident in the testimonies of the beneficiaries, including Al Misna, a trainee teacher who has learned new things about disaster preparedness and response. Over the next six months, teachers will train other teachers in their schools in disaster risk reduction best practices and form school disaster preparedness teams. These teams will conduct vulnerability and capacity assessments, develop school evacuation maps, develop evacuation procedures, develop early warning systems, share information with their communities, and conduct evacuation simulations. The project's ultimate goal is to improve the resilience and preparedness of vulnerable communities to cope with natural hazards and reduce the likelihood and impact of disasters. The project's success is also evident in the support it has received from local government officials, including Usman Basyah, Head of the Education Office Aceh Barat, and Joni Nurianto, Head of the Preparedness and Mitigation Division of BPBD Aceh Barat. They have praised the project's activities and expressed their commitment to supporting the project's goals.