Building a prepared community to volcanic risk in the global south: Assessment of awareness raising tools for high school students in Goma, (East DR Congo)

Abstract

Impacts induced by natural hazards are increasing globally. Some of these hazards, such as volcanic eruptions, cannot be prevented. Thereby, mitigating impacts is crucial, especially in densely populated areas, like in Goma city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, which is exposed to volcanic threats from Nyiragongo. Mitigation requires the population to be prepared to face volcanic eruptions, by having a high state of awareness, anticipation, and readiness to take appropriate decisions during eruption crisis. Therefore, this study used a mixed-method approach (questionnaire survey, focus group, and written composition) to assess the impact of two educational tools: the Hazagora serious game and a museum of Virunga volcanoes. 402 students from 12 different schools participated in the evaluation, two third as participants in the educational activities and others as control group. Results indicated thatboth educational tools have, in a complementary way, a positive impact on student's volcanic disaster understanding, and their implication in DRR initiatives. The museum improves more the knowledge of the volcanic processes while the Hazagora game increases more the perceived self-capacity and mitigation skills. A key finding is that both educational tools significantly increase the willingness of implementing protective measures, but not the risk perception.