Play and learn to stop disasters

Play and learn to stop disasters

Build your risk knowledge and strengthen your disaster preparedness

This online game teaches children how to build safer villages and cities against disasters. Children learn through playing how the location and the construction materials of houses make a difference when disasters strike and how early warning systems, evacuation plans and education save lives.

The game is currently available in Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. If you want to translate the game, get in touch with us.

image of gamee

Children and youth under age 30 currently make up more than half the world’s population. They are the ones who will benefit most from reducing the risk and impact of disasters, curtailing climate chaos and achieving the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Their contributions are already making a difference through more inclusive disaster risk reduction (DRR) and resilience-building policies, better prepared households, healthier children and youth and safer communities.

However more can, and must, be done to support and engage children and youth around the world in DRR. Engaging with all children and youth as key stakeholders and contributors in turbulent times is complex, but vital. 

At UNDRR, we envision a world where disasters no longer threaten the well-being of people and the future of the planet. Sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda cannot be achieved without working towards that goal of building resilience. 

Disaster impacts on education

From 2000 to 2019, 7,348 major recorded disaster events claimed 1.23 million lives, affecting 4.2 billion people, resulting in approximately US$2.97 trillion in global economic losses.

UNDRR, 2020

Since 2020, climatic shocks have disrupted education for around 62 million crisis-affected children and adolescents in 27 countries; a figure likely to rise with the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events.

Education Cannot Wait, 2024

Investing in line with global averages in education, will bring the number of people projected to be living in extreme poverty in 2030, if disaster risk is unmitigated, from 119 to 80 million. Among 26 countries of the Asia-Pacific.

ESCAP, 2019

Learn about disasters

Why differentiate disasters from natural hazards? 

It’s time to break the cycle of disaster > response > dependency > repeat. This means switching the focus from managing disasters to managing risk.

Bringing about that conceptual shift, not only within governments but across ‘all of society’, in the way we live, build, plan, and invest, is core to our work at UNDRR.  

An essential step along this journey is acknowledging the fact that there is no such thing as a natural disaster. There are natural hazards that cannot be prevented, such as earthquakes, floods, droughts, and cyclones. But we can curb their destructive power—in other words, stop them turning into

major disasters—through careful and coordinated planning that is designed to reduce people’s exposure and vulnerability to harm. 

Why make an online game on disaster risk reduction? 

Stop disasters game
The game was originally created within the 2006-2007 World Disaster Reduction Campaign “Disaster Risk Reduction Begins at School”.

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) has a big ambition: to help decision makers across the globe better understand and act on risk.  

At UNDRR, we envision a world where disasters no longer threaten the well-being of people and the future of the planet. Sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda cannot be achieved without working towards that goal of building resilience. 

Education is key for reducing children’s risks to disasters. Children are one of the most vulnerable groups when disasters occur. If we teach them from an early age about the risks posed by natural hazards, children will have a better chance to save their lives during disasters. 

This online game teaches children how to build safer villages and cities against disasters. Children learn through playing how the location and the construction materials of houses make a difference when disasters strike and how early warning systems, evacuation plans and education save lives. 

This simulation game involves five scenarios, requiring players to save lives by building upon an established community and providing defences and upgraded housing to prepare for an inevitable disaster. Each scenario can be played on easy, medium or hard difficulty levels, and takes between 10 and 20 minutes, depending on the disaster and your skill level.

The core audience is 9-16 year old children, but the game is often used in environments of higher learning and everyone will learn more about preventing disasters.

The game was initially released in March 2007 and recieved a technical refresh in 2019. A further updated is planned for release in 2024.

Children are the future architects, mayors, doctors, and parents of the world of tomorrow. If they know what to do to reduce the impact of disasters, they will create a safer world. 

Words into Action: Engaging children and youth on the frontline of disaster risk reduction and resilience

Representing more than half the world’s population, children and youth under age 30 stand to benefit the most from reducing the risk and impact of disasters.

Often hit first and hardest when disasters strike, children and youth experience disproportionately large impacts to their physical and mental health; nutritional needs; access to education; economic opportunities; exposure to violence as well as many other limiting side effects.

Children and youth living in poverty and other vulnerable situations face even bigger risks, especially as climate change increases the magnitude and number of disasters around the world. Ensuring that their needs are met and their contributions are integrated into disaster reduction efforts is critical to upholding their rights. 

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Game credits

Many experts and organisations participated in the contents and the making of this game. UNDRR secretariat would like to thank particularly:

  • Ana Trehoan, expert on education.
  • Charles Kelly, Disaster Management Expert for the flood and hurricane scenario.
  • Johann G. Goldammer, from the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC),
    Fire Ecology Research Group, Freiburg University / United Nations University (UNU) Freiburg GERMANY for the wildfire scenario
  • Scott Kiser, and Dennis Feltgen, National Weather Service, Tropical Cyclone Program Leader for the hurricane scenario
  • Laura S. L. Kong, Director, UNESCO/IOC International Tsunami Information Centre, Honolulu, for the tsunami scenario
  • Melanie Ashby, from the Emergency Management Australia
    for the wildfire scenario and the pilot testing
  • Terry Jeggle and many other UNDRR colleagues for their constant help, support and useful remarks
  • Many organizations, which supported the initiative from the beginning such as:
    • M. Rimjhim from Southern Eastern Efforts Developing Sustainable Spaces, India
    • The International Federation of Red cross and Red Crescent Societies
      Action Aid,
    • The United States Agency for International Development ,
    • The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation,
    • The Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters,
    • Jacques Faye, from the French Ministry of Ecology and sustainable development
  • With thanks to the following people for the use of their photographs: Kevin Conners, Michelle Kwajafa, Carlos and Leah.
  • And last but not least Playerthree, in particular Pete Everett and David Streek.

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