Practical Strategies of Enhancing Community-Based Participatory Disaster Education for Large-Scale Disaster Preparedness

Owing to factors like climate change and urbanization, modern disasters are becoming more frequent and complex, which demands a paradigm shift in disaster education. Centered on top-down delivery and lacking learner agency, local engagement, and sustainability, this study examines the structural limitations of Korea’s disaster education. Japan’s experience after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and the Great East Japan Earthquake is used to highlight a shift toward practice-based, community-integrated, and culturally grounded education. Furthermore, the Japanese case underscores the importance of empowering learners to recognize and respond to disaster risks within local contexts. Accordingly, the study argues that Korea should transition from survival-focused education to models that foster civic competence and community resilience. To support this, disaster education must be embedded into everyday life and supported by collaboration between schools and communities. The findings offer practical insights for building a participatory, sustainable disaster education system that is aligned with local needs.