SECTION I: INTRODUCTION
Terminology
Architects work with communities to plan and design school
and site layout. They ensure schools meet functionality
standards. Architects seek the services of a structural
engineer to provide safety calculations.
Capacity is the combination of strengths, attributes
and resources available within a community, society or
organisation that can be used to achieve disaster reduction
and prevention.
Capacity development is the process by which people,
organisations and society systematically stimulate and
develop their capacities over time to achieve social and
economic goals, including through the improvement of
knowledge, skills systems and institutions.
Children – in this document – refer to individuals from birth
to age 18.
In the context of community-based school construction,
community is a group of individuals sharing a common
geographic location at or below the smallest political unit of
a country. In the context of school construction, a community
is often bound within the catchment area of the school or
otherwise connected to a school as students, parents,
teachers and staff.
Community-based construction covers a spectrum of
possible community involvement, from making informed
programmatic planning and design decisions to directly
taking part in building construction. Communities may
receive funding, technical assistance and other support from
government agencies or development organisations.
Community-driven development is a decentralised
approach where governments empower communities to
implement small-scale infrastructure programs including
decisions about project design and implementation, as well
as resource management.
Community-based school construction often occurs
when community-driven development strategies are used.
Development actors are non-profit organisations –
national or international – that pursue activities in support
of community wellbeing. In the case of this document
these actors may be part of or outside the United Nations
system. They may be focused exclusively on education
sector activities or development more broadly. Those
working in post-disaster contexts may pursue humanitarian
aims in accordance with globally recognised humanitarian
guidelines.
A disaster is a serious disruption of the functioning of a
community or a society that involves widespread human,
material, economic or environmental losses and impacts,
and which exceeds the ability of the affected community or
society to cope using its own resources.
III
Disaster risk reduction is the concept and practice of
reducing disaster risks through systematic efforts to analyse
and manage the causal factors of disasters, including
through reduced exposure to hazards, lessened vulnerability
of people and property, wise management of land and
the environment, and improved preparedness for adverse
events.
Engineers apply science, mathematics and ingenuity
to develop solutions for technical problems. Structural
engineers are qualified to design structures and certify their
safety, although many do not have specialised training in
hazard-resistant design.
Exposure occurs when people, property, systems or other
elements are present in hazard zones and are thereby
subject to potential losses.
Mitigation is the lessening or limiting of the adverse impacts
of hazards and related disasters.
Natural hazards are natural processes or phenomena
that may cause loss of life, injury, other health impacts,
property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social
and economic disruption, or environmental damage.
Hazard events can cause disruption, or even disaster, to
communities when they are vulnerable to such events.
In the context of safe school buildings other hazards may
also be of concern. These include proximity to industrial
sites, overhead and underground utilities, traffic, school fires,
conflict, abduction and bullying. Many of these hazards can
be mitigated through careful site selection and design.
International and national non-government organisations
(NGOs) are private organisations that pursue activities to
relieve suffering, promote the interest of the poor, protect
the environment, provide basic social services, or undertake
community development; many of the larger NGOs are
headquartered in developed nations. Most are not for profit.
Resilience is the ability of a system, community, or society
exposed to hazards to resist, absorb, accommodate, and
recover from the effects of a hazard in a timely and efficient
manner, including through the preservation and restoration of
its essential basic structures and functions.
Risk is the combination of the probability of an event and its
negative consequences. Disaster risk is a function of hazard,
exposure and vulnerability. An increase in any of these three
components drives the scale and impact of disasters.
Retrofit is the reinforcement or upgrading of existing
structures so that they become more resistant to or able to
accommodate the damaging effects of hazards.