Stop the Disaster Game | UNDRR

Children and young people under the age of 30 currently make up more than half of the world’s population. They are the biggest beneficiaries of reducing disaster risks and impacts, reducing climate chaos and achieving the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Their contributions are already making an impact through more inclusive disaster risk reduction (DRR) and resilience-building policies, better prepared families, healthier children and young people, and safer communities.

However, we can and must do more to support and engage children and young people around the world in disaster risk reduction efforts. Involving all children and young people as key stakeholders and contributors in times of uncertainty is complex but critical.

At the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, we envision a world where disasters no longer threaten human well-being and the future of our planet. Sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda cannot be achieved without working towards goals that build resilience.

Impact of Disasters on Education

From 2000 to 2019, 7,348 major disaster events were recorded, claiming 1.23 million lives, affecting 4.2 billion people, and causing global economic losses of approximately $2.97 trillion.

Since 2020, climate shocks have disrupted the education of approximately 62 million crisis-affected children and adolescents in 27 countries; this number is likely to rise as the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events increase.

If disaster risks are not mitigated and education investments are made at the global average, the number of people living in extreme poverty is expected to increase from 119 to 80 million by 2030. One of 26 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Why differentiate between disasters and natural hazards?

It’s time to break the cycle of disaster > response > dependency > repeat. This means shifting the focus from managing disasters to managing risks.

Achieving this mindset shift, not just within governments but “whole of society”, in the way we live, build, plan and invest, is at the heart of our work at UNDRR.

An important step in this process is to acknowledge the fact that there are no natural hazards. Some natural hazards cannot be prevented, such as earthquakes, floods, droughts and tornadoes. But we can curb their destructive power – in other words, stop them from becoming major disasters – through careful and coordinated planning aimed at reducing people’s risk and vulnerability to harm.

Why make an online game about disaster risk reduction?

The game was originally created during the 2006-2007 World Disaster Risk Reduction Campaign “Disaster Risk Reduction Starts in School”.

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) has an ambitious goal: to help global decision-makers better understand and act on risks.

At UNDRR, we envision a world where disasters no longer threaten human well-being and the future of our planet. Sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda cannot be achieved without working towards the goal of building resilience.

Education is key to reducing disaster risk for children. Children are one of the most vulnerable groups when disasters occur. If we teach them from an early age about the risks posed by natural disasters, children will have a better chance of saving lives in disasters.

This online game teaches children how to build safer villages and cities to withstand disasters. Through play, children learn how the location of houses and building materials can have an impact when a disaster strikes, and how early warning systems, evacuation plans and education can save lives.

This simulation game involves five scenarios that require players to prepare for inevitable disasters by building established communities and providing defenses and upgrading housing to save lives. Each scenario can be selected at an easy, medium or hard difficulty level and takes 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the disaster and your skill level.

The core audience is children aged 9-16, but the game is often used in higher education settings, and everyone will learn more about disaster prevention.

The game was originally released in March 2007 and was technically updated in 2019. Further updates are planned for 2024.

Children are the architects, mayors, doctors and parents of the future world. If they know how to reduce the impact of disasters, they will create a safer world.