SECTION 1 — TYPHOONS, FLOODS & CLIMATE-RELATED HAZARDS (2 minutes)

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Course Content
Pre-test
Welcome to the Project ARES Pre-Test. This assessment is designed to gauge your current understanding of disaster risk, systemic barriers, and disability-inclusive leadership before we begin our modules.
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Topic 1: Disability and Disaster Risk
Welcome to Topic 1: Disability and Disaster Risk. Before we talk about preparedness or youth leadership, we need to understand one important truth: Disasters affect people differently — not because of their abilities, but because of the barriers around them. Across Southeast Asia and the Philippines, we live in one of the most hazard-prone regions of the world. Typhoons, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions — these events are part of our lived reality. But for many persons with disabilities, the danger doesn’t come mainly from the hazard itself. It comes from inaccessible systems, missing information, and environments that don’t include everyone. Today, we will explore how inclusion — or the lack of it — shapes disaster outcomes, and why understanding disability is the first step to building a resilient community.
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Topic 2: Understanding Hazards and Community Exposure
Welcome to Topic 2: Understanding Hazards and Community Exposure. In Topic 1, you learned that disasters affect people differently not because of disability—but because of barriers in our systems. Now, we focus on the hazards themselves—especially the three major hazards that affect the Philippines, Indonesia, and Laos: Typhoons and floods. Earthquakes. Volcanic eruptions. Understanding hazards is important. But understanding who receives warnings, who can evacuate safely, and who gets left behind is just as important. Because: Hazard knowledge + accessible systems = stronger community resilience. Let’s begin!
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Topic 3: Preparedness at Household and Community Levels
INTRODUCTION (60–90 seconds) “Welcome to Topic 3: Preparedness at Household and Community Levels. In Topic 1, we understood disability from a rights-based and social model perspective. In Topic 2, we learned about the hazards that affect countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, and Laos — and why early warnings often fail to reach persons with disabilities. Now in Topic 3, we focus on the practical side: How do we build inclusive emergency plans at home and in the community? How do we assign roles that match people’s capacities — not their limitations? Inclusive preparedness doesn’t start with fancy equipment. It starts with simple, doable steps that ANY household can follow.”
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Topic 4: Youth Leadership and Community Disaster-readiness in Action
“Welcome to Topic 4: Topic 4: Youth Leadership and Community Disaster-readiness in Action. By now, you’ve learned three foundations: 1. Why disaster risk becomes worse when barriers exist (Topic 1), 2. How early warnings and response systems can be inaccessible (Topic 2), and 3. How families and communities can co-create inclusive preparedness plans (Topic 3). Now we bring everything together. This final topic focuses on how YOU — as youth — can lead, influence, and advocate for inclusive systems in your home, school, and community. You do not need a title or a high position. You only need awareness, initiative, and the willingness to act.”
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Post-test
Finally! we hope that you enjoy learning with us. To measure your improved knowledge, let's take a post-test!
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Youth Leadership for a Whole-of-Community Approach to Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) [English]

“All three of our countries—the Philippines, Indonesia, and Laos—are affected by strong storms, heavy rains, and flooding.

  • The Philippines and Indonesia experience powerful tropical storms and typhoons every year.
  • Laos, though landlocked, faces severe river flooding and landslides during the rainy season.
  • Climate change is making these hazards more intense and more unpredictable across the region.

Recent large disasters in our region include:

  • Supertyphoon Haiyan/Yolanda (Philippines)
  • Severe flooding from tropical storms in Indonesia
  • Widespread Mekong River flooding in Laos

These hazards bring:

Strong winds

Heavy rain

Floods

Storm surges (for coastal areas)

Landslides

But the real danger increases when barriers exist.

Barriers During Typhoons & Floods

For persons with disabilities and many vulnerable groups, these hazards expose:

  • Evacuation centers on upper floors with no ramps
  • Flooded streets without tactile guidance
  • Narrow village pathways
  • Audio-only warnings with no captions or visuals
  • Noise, crowds, and chaos that overwhelm neurodivergent youth

Storms and floods show us an important truth:

Hazards become deadly when systems are not designed for everyone.