Social sustainability dimensions in the seismic risk reduction of public schools: a case study of Lima, Peru

Abstract

The provision of education is a vital feature of a socially sustainable system. However, students in highly seismic areas are under permanent hazard, a critical situation for student populations with high vulnerability factors such as insecure infrastructure, low teacher salaries, and poor living conditions due to social exclusion and inequity. In this article, we use community-based elements, such as institutional arrangements and a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach, to develop a comprehensive multi-scale risk model for socially sustainable seismic risk reduction in schools. We analyze the case of schools in the city of Lima, Peru, integrating aims, objectives, and methodologies based on risk-reduction strategy from previous disciplinary studies. Identifying schools that, on one hand, can be most useful during emergencyrelief work and, on the other hand, educational facilities that could cause the most harm to students are priorities for a risk-reduction strategy. We identify social sustainability factors in schools, such as security and well-being of the student population, accessibility, incomes, basic service provision, and community organization. Specifying the spatial and territorial relationships within public school surroundings is essential to guaranteeing the effectiveness and efficiency of risk-mitigation strategies.

Key Words:

• Social sustainability
• seismic risk
• mitigation
• community-based disaster risk management