Raise Public Awareness, Earthquake Safety Day
Public Awareness
The purpose of this element of the project is to raise awareness of the earthquake risk facing Kathmandu Valley among Nepalese (including government officials, government administrators, influential members of the private sector, and the public) and among non-Nepalese (including foreigners living in Kathmandu, international donor organizations, and international earthquake professional societies). Raised awareness will provide the fiscal and political support necessary to reduce the risk.
Kathmandu Valley Earthquake Awareness Day
We will establish that every January 15 is designated as Kathmandu Valley earthquake day, in recognition of the occurrence of the last earthquake tragedy to strike the valley, on January 15, 1934. The first celebration of this day will be at the end of this project, on January 15, 1999.
On this day, activities will be organized at pre-designated open areas, where citizens will collect after an actual earthquake.
One of the mainstays of the earthquake response plans of most densely populated cities is the use of pre-designated open areas where survivors can gather. In some cities the playgrounds of public schools are designated as such areas. In Kathmandu, however, most schools do not have playgrounds and are now surrounded by other buildings. After the 1934 earthquake, survivors did gather in open areas, but most of these areas are now filled with houses.
One of the purposes of this activity is to have local authorities designate for the first time emergency response open areas, to inform citizens on their location, and to train them to go to these areas in case of emergency.
On Kathmandu Valley Earthquake Day, there will be displays in the open areas of proper construction of homes, fire fighting techniques, and examples of hazardous conditions in the city including unsecured water tanks, electric power transformers, flower pots, and loose roof tiles. There will also be information booths to dispense information about non-structural hazards in the home and work place, and what to do in case of an actual earthquake.
All school children will march from their schools (most of which do not have open areas adjoining them) to these open areas to be present at 2:00 PM, the time of the 1934 event. The marching of the students will be highly visible to other citizens, and should attract attention to the activities in the pre-designated open areas.
Once this annual event is firmly established, it can be extended to other major towns in Nepal, recognizing that the majority of Nepalese live outside Kathmandu and are also subject to great earthquake risk. Some of the written material developed for the Kathmandu Valley Earthquake Day may be appropriate for use outside the Valley, but new material will have to be developed to address the more rural conditions there.
Public Talks about KV's Earthquake Risk
Throughout the course of this project, we will give lectures about the KV's earthquake risk. We will seek invitations at such gatherings as meetings of Rotary Clubs, the Boy Scout Jamborees, and trade association meetings. Giving such talks will not only inform the public about the KV earthquake risk, but it will give us feedback on the concerns and perceptions of the public, which will help us tailor our public awareness campaign.
Write and Publish Report for Public
We will adapt the final report (see section 3.1.5) for mass publication for the layman. We will shorten it and concentrate on the sections of most interest to the public. We will publish thousands of copies of these pamphlets so that they can be distributed at the first KV Earthquake Awareness Day.
Measure of Effectiveness
We will measure the level of awareness about KV's earthquake risk that existed before this project and the level of awareness that exists after the project. Comparing these levels will help us evaluate to what extent these public awareness activities are effective. In
addition, by our knowing before we start the public awareness campaign what different segments of the KV society understand about earthquake risk, we can better design our campaign. We will attempt to poll 1%, or about 15,000 people at both the beginning and end of the project.
