From simulation to resilience: using the Stop Disasters game and local data to teach disaster risk reduction
Three years ago, I stood in front of a class of bright Iranian university students, explaining disaster risk reduction (DRR). I talked about hazard mapping, early warning systems, cost-effective mitigation measures and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. They listened carefully, took notes and passed their exams.
But I had a lingering doubt. If an earthquake or flood struck their own city the next day, would they know how to make difficult decisions under pressure? Could they prioritise limited resources, decide whether to reinforce a hospital or build a seawall, and understand the consequences of those choices?
I decided to try a different approach. I replaced some traditional lectures with the Stop Disasters simulation game and paired it with a local hazard atlas that my students and I helped compile.
The limitations of traditional teaching
My course, “Principles and Foundations of Disaster Risk Reduction”, is taught at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. Most of my students will become paramedics, nurses or other health professionals. They need more than theoretical knowledge. They need practical decision-making skills for situations where information is incomplete and choices are difficult.
Real disasters do not follow a PowerPoint presentation. They are complex, fast-moving and full of competing priorities.
How should decision-makers allocate a limited budget when every investment – retrofitting a hospital, installing an early warning system or running a public awareness campaign – competes for the same resources? When should communities evacuate? What happens if action is delayed?
These are the types of decisions that the Stop Disasters! simulation game asks players to make.
How the simulation works
Stop Disasters is a free online simulation game developed to help users understand disaster risk reduction. Each student or team takes on the role of a disaster risk manager. Players select a hazard – such as an earthquake, flood, hurricane, tsunami or wildfire – and a community to protect.
With a limited budget and a set amount of time, they decide where to invest resources: reinforcing buildings, constructing protective infrastructure, installing early warning systems, restoring natural barriers or organising evacuation drills.
Then the disaster strikes.
The game shows the consequences of those decisions: casualties, damaged homes or, in some cases, a community successfully protected. It is a fast-paced and challenging experience that mirrors some of the difficult choices faced in real disaster risk management.
Connecting a global simulation with local realities
A game alone, however, is not enough. For the simulation to become meaningful, students need to connect their decisions to the actual hazards and vulnerabilities in their own communities.
That is why we integrate a locally developed resource: the 20 Year Hazard Analysis of Mazandaran Province (1996–2016), a multi-hazard atlas that my colleagues and I compiled and published.
Before each gameplay session, students use the atlas to explore local risks. They examine seismic hazard maps showing that Mazandaran has experienced two earthquakes above magnitude 7 since 1900, occurring roughly every 60–65 years.
They review building vulnerability assessments. In the city of Sari, for example, between 63% and 72% of residential structures are made of adobe or cinder block, which are categories predicted to experience total collapse during a major earthquake.
Real disasters do not follow a PowerPoint presentation. They are complex, fast-moving and full of competing priorities.
For flood scenarios, students study the Neka River catchment, where 51% of the basin area falls within high or very high flood vulnerability classes. They also examine landslide risks in the Savadkooh region, where more than 63% of the area – including 146 villages – is located in moderate to very high landslide hazard zones. Rainfall has triggered more than 180 documented landslide events in this area.
When students understand that these are not abstract statistics, but descriptions of buildings they see every day and rivers they cross, their decisions in the simulation become more meaningful. The atlas provides a bridge between a global educational tool and local disaster risk reduction priorities.
What happened in the classroom
The first time I combined the game with the atlas, the classroom changed. Students debated budget choices, discussed different strategies and reacted strongly when their decisions failed.
When one team successfully protected its virtual village from a flood after studying real flood risk information from the atlas, the students celebrated.
By the end of the semester, I observed several changes:
- Deeper understanding – Students moved beyond memorising the priorities of the Sendai Framework. They could explain why investing in preparedness can reduce disaster losses because they had tested these ideas through simulation and compared them with historical data.
- Improved resource management skills – Budget constraints helped students understand why decision-makers cannot invest equally in every measure and must prioritise based on risk.
- Teamwork and communication – Group play required students to delegate responsibilities, negotiate priorities and make decisions together – skills relevant to emergency management.
- Increased motivation through gamification – The use of game-based learning elements encouraged participation and created a more interactive learning environment.
We used the Kirkpatrick model to evaluate learning outcomes. The results showed that students moved from passive learning towards more active, scenario-based reasoning. They became better at interpreting hazard maps and connecting decisions made in the simulation with real-world consequences.
Lessons for educators and disaster risk reduction practitioners
Based on three years of implementation, I offer the following recommendations for educators and DRR practitioners interested in adapting this approach.
Combine simulation games with local hazard data
Do not use Stop Disasters as a standalone activity. Before each scenario, ask students to review local hazard maps, vulnerability assessments and historical disaster records.
The Mazandaran hazard atlas is one example. Similar resources may exist elsewhere, or students can be guided to develop simple hazard profiles using available data.
This step transforms a generic simulation into a locally relevant risk analysis exercise.
Use a prepare–act–analyse learning cycle
Simply allowing students to play does not guarantee lasting learning. I use a three-phase cycle:
- Preparation – Students study relevant sections of the local hazard atlas before starting the scenario.
- Action – Small teams play the Stop Disasters simulation while managing time and budget constraints.
- Analysis – Teams present their strategies and outcomes and compare them with the real hazard history documented in the atlas.
The analysis phase often generates the most valuable discussions, as students understand why some measures succeed while others fail.
Encourage repetition and strategic variation
The game allows students to replay scenarios using different approaches. I ask each team to complete a scenario at least three times, using different strategies each time.
For example, one round may focus on structural measures such as reinforced buildings, another on community-based measures such as evacuation drills and public awareness, and a third on a combination of approaches.
By comparing outcomes, students develop a better understanding of cost-effectiveness, trade-offs and the importance of combining different risk reduction measures.
Build teamwork into the activity
Assigning students to teams of three or four produces stronger learning outcomes than individual play.
Teams must negotiate budget allocations, divide responsibilities, debate competing priorities and reach decisions under time pressure. These skills are directly relevant to emergency management.
Connect learning outcomes to global DRR frameworks
After each session, I ask students to identify which Sendai Framework priorities their strategies addressed, such as understanding disaster risk and strengthening disaster preparedness.
This helps students see that the simulation is not an isolated activity, but a practical example of internationally recognised DRR approaches.
Evaluate learning through a structured framework
We apply the Kirkpatrick model, which examines four areas:
- Reaction: student engagement and satisfaction;
- Learning: changes in knowledge and skills;
- Behaviour: application of learning to new scenarios; and
- Results: broader improvements in DRR competencies.
This approach helps us refine the activity and assess its effectiveness.
A small step towards resilience
No simulation can fully capture the complexity of real disasters. Stop Disasters simplifies reality. However, when combined with local hazard information and a structured learning approach, it provides students with a safe environment in which to make decisions, reflect on outcomes and try again.
After three years, I believe that game-based learning grounded in local evidence can play an important role in DRR education.
My students graduate not only with theoretical knowledge, but also with a stronger understanding of the difficult choices involved in reducing disaster risk. They learn why decisions matter – both in a simulation and in the real world.
And that understanding may one day help save lives.
Dr. Reza Habibi Saravi, MD, PhD is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Iran. He received his Medical Doctor (MD) degree in 2001 and completed his PhD in Health in Disasters and Emergencies in 2018. With over two decades of experience in disaster medicine and emergency management, he has taught at several leading Iranian universities and has conducted more than 350 national and regional training workshops on disaster preparedness, hospital disaster planning, incident command systems, emergency response, and first aid.
Dr. Habibi Saravi has delivered more than 90 presentations at national and international conferences and has authored over 35 peer-reviewed scientific articles and more than 20 books in the fields of disaster risk management, emergency health, rescue, and relief. He also serves as an associate editor of HDQ journal and reviewer for numerous international scientific journals, including the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, PLOS series, and several BMC journals. His research interests include disaster risk reduction, emergency preparedness, disaster education, and health systems resilience.