Abstract
BACKGROUND: Nepal's complicated topography and tectonic susceptibility leads to extreme vulnerability to earthquakes, floods and landslides which especially poses significant risks to its population; including school children. This study aims to identify the knowledge of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) among secondary school students in Pokhara Metropolitan, Nepal. Despite the susceptibility, there is limited understanding of DRR knowledge among students, who are key in disseminating preparedness information within communities and families. METHODS: A cross-sectional, quantitative study was conducted among 342 students of grades 9 and 10 across six public schools of Pokhara Metropolitan, Nepal. A multistage probability sampling was used to select desired number of samples. Data were collected after obtaining ethical approval from Institutional Review Committee of Pokhara University using a standardized questionnaire. The tool was designed to assess students' disaster-related knowledge, preparedness, adaptation, and risk perception related to DRR issues objectively. The descriptive statistics and Chi square tests were applied and the knowledge scores were categorized using Bloom's taxonomy for learning objectives. RESULTS: Most of the students (92.7%) recognized disasters as unforeseen events requiring assistance. However, significant gaps were identified in disaster preparedness and adaptation knowledge, with 42.1% of students unaware of disaster-related facts. Majority (86.8%) had ever experienced disasters; predominantly reporting earthquakes (90.2%). No significant differences were observed in DRR knowledge by academic grades; while significant associations were found between DRR knowledge and institutional sources of information, such as teachers and the Nepal Junior Red Cross (p = 0.014) and prior disaster experiences (p = 0.045). Similarly, positive risk perception was strongly associated with information from digital media (p < 0.001) and institutional education (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study highlights that great majority had understanding of disaster issues; however, critical knowledge gap of DRR was evident among students in disaster-prone regions among secondary students in Pokhara Metropolitan Nepal. The findings underscore the urgency of integrating DRR education into school curricula, complemented by practical training, drills, and collaboration with disaster management organizations to enhance preparedness and community resilience in this city. Further researches are recommended ensuring the comprehensiveness of variables and rigorous methods to affirm the generality of the findings.