Education in Risk Management in Two Communities of the Cotopaxi Province

Abstract

Education in risk management is a fundamental and strategic axis to reduce the impacts of any disastrous event. A case study is used to analyze how educational models can create a culture of risk management that is efficient and effective. The case study was an emblematic territory of Ecuador, the communes of Laigua de Vargas and Laigua de Bellavista, located in the city of Latacunga. The analysis model was qualitative through interviews and mind maps. The results showed an educational system based on a formal education limited only to some subjects, and a disconnection between actors involved in the training of citizens, includi ng a lack of clarity in the topics to be trained, focused mainly only on the explosion of the Cotopaxi volcano as a sample of the immediate response to a natural disaster.