The UN/ISDR secretariat is launching an online video game in English, French, Spanish, Chinese and Russian to engage children aged 9 to 16 in and teach them how to protect urban areas and villages against natural hazards through disaster risk planning and management. The online vide game is one of the educational material produced to consolidate the gains made in the ongoing World Disaster Reduction Campaign 2006-2007 focusing on schools, and to move the disaster risk reduction momentum forward in the years to come.

The UN/ISDR secretariat developed the online video game based on the great success of the board game called “Riskland” for children aged 6 to 9, which was developed jointly with UNICEF. The Riskland game has been widely used worldwide in different languages, including local languages.

The new on line game called “Stop Disasters” aims at sensitizing children on basic notions of disaster risk reduction in a fun and entertaining manner. Its main objective is to raise awareness about the issue but does not pretend to educate children on all the aspects of disaster risk reduction issues. The game is also supported by a website offering more information and teacher guides on natural hazards.

The online game includes five natural hazard scenarios (flooding, tsunami, wildfire, hurricane and earthquake) set in five different geographic environments with three different levels of difficulty that require critical decision-making and strategic planning.

In each scenario, the player has a specific mission to fulfill within a budget and limit time. Then a natural hazard strikes after which the player assesses damage and receives his/her score. The player who has protected the most people and their livelihoods (property and resources) wins the game.

“We hope that the on line game will help children to know more about disaster risk reduction policies and understand the benefit of disaster risk reduction policies to advert the impact of disasters.”

“Children will be one day the mayors, the architects and the decision makers of the world of tomorrow. If we teach them what they can do from the early age they will build a safer world.”

“Games are only one way to get to children but the impact of the game will not be useful without a complementary approach at school. Education can save lives and it is why it is imperative to integrate disaster risk reduction in the school curricula of all children not only in schools located in prone disasters area. ”

Salvano Briceño
Director, UN/ISDR secretariat