Georgia: Integration of civil safety study into educational program

International NGO Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB) is hosting a workshop to finalize the Disaster Risk Reduction Roadmap for the education system. This workshop will include the participation of government officials and non-governmental stakeholders. The Roadmap will include an implementation guide for the disaster risk reduction (DRR) strategy in the education sector.

The workshop is part of ASB's disability inclusive project, “We are ready! Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction for the Culture of Safety”, financed by Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO). The project aims to mainstream DRR planning for the education sector, to introduce DRR courses in target universities and to increase the capacity of NGOs working with disabilities to ensure their active participation in disaster risk reduction issues.

Launched in 1996, the Disaster Preparedness ECHO program (DIPECHO) is the core element of ECHO's DRR global effort, in which it has invested €325 million thus far. The key goal of the program is to increase communities' resilience and reduce their vulnerability. DIPECHO is a people-oriented program, helping communities at risk of disasters to better prepare themselves by undertaking training, establishing or improving local early warning systems and contingency planning. It also encourages citizens, civil society groups and local, regional and national authorities to work more effectively together.