13 October 2012 International Day for Disaster Reduction13 October 2012 International Day for Disaster Reduction

The International Day for Disaster Reduction has been annually celebrated on the 13th October, initiated by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction Secretariat (ISDR) and then globally established. Every year, on that day, activities and events are organised worldwide, aiming to a global understanding of disasters, including natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, storms, landslides, fires, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and to the sensitization for preparedness mechanisms in order to minimize their disastrous effects. A large variety of innovative events are organised by and for children, young people and the broad public, schools and youth networks, teachers, professors and educators, national organisations, scientific institutions, NGOs, mass media, municipalities, companies and private operators.

This year, the Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest, in the frames of the International Day for Disaster Reduction, is organising a fortnight with events for the education and sensitization on the seismic risk. The activities are under the auspices of the Secretariat General for the Aegean and Island Policy and are addressed to schools, educators and the broader public. They utilise the results of the European Project RACCE (Raising earthquake Awareness and Coping Children’s Emotions), a project carried out by a partnership consisting of the Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest, the Natural History Museum of Crete (leading partner), the Greek National Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization, two partners from Italy (the Centre for Research and Communication Montesca and the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology – Vesuvius Observatory), the Centre of Environmental Initiatives in Bulgaria and the Geopark Réserve Naturelle Géologique de Haute-Provence in France.

The celebration program of the
International Day for Disaster Reduction 2012

The Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest, through the realisation of the activities with the name “I study earthquakes – I learn how to be protected”, aims to the education of the public and mainly of the young people on issues concerning earthquake risk and to the sensitization on prevention and protection measures.

In particular, during the celebration the following events will take place:

• Presentations and lectures on “Earthquakes – The Earth in motion: The earthquake in Japan”,
• Guided tours in the temporary exhibition designed in the frames of the RACCE European project and discussions on the earthquake prevention and protection measures,
• Demonstration of the operation of the seismological station at Sigri and of the Museum’s interactive map of active seismicity in Greece,
• Educational activity which includes the simulation at the Museum’s earthquake table of the 2011 Japan earthquake and other large earthquakes, as well as implementation of protection measures during the earthquake simulations,
• Screening of the documentary “March 2011: the Japan great earthquake and tsunami”.

For more information on the events, you can also contact the Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest, phone number: +30 22530 54434, e-mail address: lesvospf@otenet.gr, website: www.lesvosmuseum.gr.