Looking through the Lens of schools: Children perception, knowledge, and preparedness of flood disaster risk management in Pakistan

Schools serve as a hub for children to learn and involve in disaster mitigation activities and to connect with the community. The government of Pakistan has initiated different capacity building and safety training programs to increase the preparedness level among school children. However, the effectiveness of such capacity building training programs in disaster-prone areas is yet to be evaluated. In this perspective, this study examines the school children's perception, knowledge, and preparedness of flood disaster risk management in Pakistan. The analysis is based on a primary survey covering 20 primary schools across four severely flood-affected districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. By using a structured questionnaire, we collected data from 100 students of grade-5. Pearson's Chi-square test is used to determine the statistical significance of the differences in preparedness across districts. The findings show that, concerning perception, overall 40% of the total sample children believe that the flood disaster would destroy the houses of residents (including theirs), 39% said that it would damage the large buildings and 31% reported that persons near the river source are facing a higher risk. Regarding flood disaster risk-related knowledge, 68% of respondents experienced flood disasters between 2010 and 2014, and houses were flooded and damaged by 65% and 46% of the respondents, respectively. The findings further indicated that preparedness level is generally low in the study districts as 12% have a family emergency plan, however, only 5% practice emergency plans at the household level. In addition, only 18% of the schools show emergency exit, assembly areas, and places to meet or leave important messages in an emergency. Moreover, the study found that awareness and training programs are needed at the school level to increase knowledge and preparedness for future floods.