A Prospect of Disaster Education and Community Development in Thailand: Learning from Japan

Abstract

This paper aims to examine a prospect of disaster education and community development at the Hua Takhe community, Thailand. It explores program and participation as well as meaning and implication of the Japanese case studies through field observations and participations. Based on the analysis of the questionnaire survey of its inhabitants, the strengths of the Hua Takhe community include solidarity, human and cultural resources, and location. Nonetheless, its weaknesses are limitation of disaster prevention-related resource, insufficient cooperation between the old and the young generation, lack of systematic disaster management, and low participation in disaster drills. While collaboration with educational institutions, informal and innovative learning, better quality of life, and being an example for other communities can be considered as its opportunities, changing ownership and usage of dwellings and unbalanced development can be its significant threats. Consequently, this paper proposes a disaster education and community development program focusing on enhancing the inclusive learning community, which contributes to the disaster resilience of the Thai communities.