PESHAWAR:University of Peshawar UoP Centre for Disaster Preparedness and Management (CDPM) in collaboration with SDPI-Islamabad conducted a two-day training on “Serious Disaster Board and Extreme Event Game”.
According to a press release issued here on Thursday, a total of seven different sessions were held on day one of the training. On Day two students participated and played the extreme event game.
The training was imparted by Dr. Hisham Tariq, Research Fellow at the University of Salford and Dr, Mushtaq Ahmad Jan, Assistant Professor CDPM.
The main aim of this training was to raise awareness amongst students about disaster risks and measures they can take to prepare for them.
During sessions, players become inhabitants of a community that have to develop themselves and sustain their community. But since the community is regularly affected by hazards, it has to get ready to face them.
What is the mechanism of the hazards, what are the impacts and what can a community do to protect themselves from these hazards are questions answered during the game. Discussions on disasters and their possible consequences teach them more about the mechanisms of these processes. The game also teaches them how to prepare for disasters.
The Extreme Event game gives students a taste of what it takes to build community resilience in the face of disasters.
Players worked together to make decisions and solve problems during an engaging, fast-paced disaster simulation.
Based on analysis of the most common game strategies observed, the players’ reactions during the game, and their answers to a short questionnaire, it was noted that these games positively enhanced the players’ insights into processes involved in disasters.
As such, the game is an effective, fun learning tool to introduce participants to the concepts of hazards and disasters and to generate discussion.
In the closing ceremony, Prof. Dr. Zulfiqar Ali, Director CDPM appreciated the workshop organizers and participants and said that these games reinforce the resilience of students so that they are better equipped to face future disasters.
He further added that we are introducing new tools for student learning including hands-on training and disaster simulation.
Talking to the media Dr. Mushtaq said that we have started research to customize these tools in the context of Pakistan.
Our aim is to develop tools for use in academic institutions, schools and communities across the country to raise awareness about disasters and build resilience, he added.