Drawing a map of your community

Spotting Danger and Taking Action!

How can you keep yourself, your things, your family and friends safe in case of disaster? You can help your community be aware and prepare by making a "Community Risk and Resource Map".

The Community Map is not the same as an official printed map of your area. The Community Map is a big drawing that you and your friends make to show what risks exist in your community, and what resources you can use to protect yourselves. In other words, your Community Map helps you spot danger and take action before a disaster happens.

Spotting danger and taking early action is important. If a disaster strikes, you and your community need to know what to do. Help may not reach you for hours, or even days. Here's how you can make a Community Map.

Grandma, do you remember

First, gather information about disasters in your area. Ask your grandparents, parents, other relatives or older friends to tell you about the biggest disasters they or their parents remember. Here's what you can ask:

· Do you remember disasters that happened in this area? What happened? When?
· What did people do?
· What should be done if the same kind of disaster happened today? Who in the community can help?

Write down your answers, and discuss them in class. Your class should list common points so that everyone can see them. By the end of the discussion, you should have a list of dangers and what you can do about them.

Draw Risk and Resource Symbols

With your class, invent symbols for the dangers resources you listed. See the maps for examples.

Collective risks
	Garbage
	Rats
	Dangerous crossroads cars speed too much
	Unsafe buildings
Individual risks
	These houses lack water
	She is pregnant
	Here is an old person to help
	Here is a handicapped person

Hunt for Hazards and Find Ways to Avoid Them

Remembering the stories you just heard, visit possible areas at risk. Talk to people who live or work there about hazards and what to do about them. Draw a detailed map of each area, using your symbols to show risks and resources.

Put all the maps together on one big community map.

Take Action!

Share with your classmates and teacher what people in the neighbourhood told you during your visit. What steps could your community take for people to be safe? Who in the community can help you?

Now, take action! Ask your teacher to invite people from the community the mayor, firemen, police, journalists, doctors, the weatherperson, social workers - and discuss the things you have seen and your ideas of what could be done.

Enter The Community Map Contest

Deadline: 31 March 1996

Send your community risk and resource map to the United Nations International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction. Each student from the winning classes will receive a t-shirt from IDNDR or from UNICEF. Winning maps will be published in Stop Disasters magazine, which is printed in six languages and is sent all over the world.

Remember, a good map is easy to read, and its symbols are clear. It will clearly mark risk areas and community resources. Along with the map, you may also wish to send written stories or photos of how you or your community used it.

On the back of your map, please include:
Name and address of your school
Grade level and ages of students
Your teacher's name

The Community Map section is adapted from materials developed by the World Health Organization; the Pan American Health Organization; the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; General Directorate for Development Cooperation; the WHO/DGCS Collaborating Centre for Emergencies.