Understanding children’s exposure to landslides in Nicaragua

This article evaluates the integration of disaster risk reduction strategies within the educational framework of Nicaragua, with a particular emphasis on children’s exposure to landslides and their vulnerability to climate-induced disasters. A comprehensive multi-stage methodology combines geospatial modelling, demographic analysis, and risk assessment to systematically assess landslide susceptibility and its implications for school infrastructure and student safety. The analysis is structured into three distinct phases. The first phase focuses on developing a Landslide Susceptibility Model, utilising historical landslide data along with geophysical parameters to create a robust predictive tool. The second phase entails a geospatial overlay that juxtaposes the identified susceptibility zones with the locations of educational institutions. In the third phase, the analysis centres on the demographic characteristics of children residing in high-risk areas, offering insights into their exposure. The findings identify regions that exhibit elevated risks of landslides, thus posing significant threats to school infrastructure and educational continuity. Moreover, the study highlights the dual role of schools in disaster-prone regions, where they are frequently repurposed as emergency shelters during crises, exacerbating disruptions to education. By integrating geospatial risk assessment with demographic analysis, this research provides a framework for evaluating children’s exposure to landslides and calls for incorporating disaster risk reduction strategies into the planning processes of the educational sector.