EDUCATION FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION : THE CASE OF THE 'CLIMATE CHANGE ACADEMY' IN ALBAY PROVINCE, PHILIPPINES

Abstract

The increasing frequency of disaster risks due to natural hazards such as typhoons that hit the Philippines over the past years has become a major concern of disaster risk reduction (DRR) managers especially in the Province of Albay which is considered as the typhoon highway of the country. Local and national legislations have begun to address this issue by means of capacitating the local government units (LGUs) to reduce disaster risks and building the resilience of communities in Albay. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the contribution of the "Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Training Institute", commonly known as the "Climate Change Academy", to the overall DRR processes for community resilience building in the province. This thesis used the socio-ecological model of change and organisational behaviour concepts to evaluate the factors that contribute to behavioural changes of the staff of LGUs who underwent the training as well as changes in their workplace policies and practice. These changes were explained further by looking at how the concept of education for disaster risk reduction (EDRR) was carried out in the Academy's training programme in order to help achieve the desired results. EDRR and innovation concepts were also used to analyse the development of the training module of the Academy. Data were collected mainly through a tracer study of 11 former participants of the training and 12 in-depth interviews with different individuals who are directly or indirectly related to the Academy. Key findings of the thesis indicate that the training module development was based on Albay's vast experience in disaster through its lead agency in disaster risk reduction and management. It was argued that the positive changes in behaviour were observed after undergoing training in the Academy and that these changes have been helpful both in their personal undertakings as part of the community and in their functioning as local public servants in the province. In the workplace front, however, significant changes were observed only at the village level where local officials are the first responders to disasters. The impact of the Academy's training program in terms of its contribution in achieving its set objectives and in advancing its innovative programmes on DRR depends on the resources, both financial and technical capacities that are required to ensure the effectiveness of the Academy. This thesis, therefore, concludes that the Academy as a training institute has contributed to the overall DRR processes for community resilience building in the Province of Albay and to the overall agenda setting for EDRR both at the national and global levels