Champions of Change: When Preparedness Becomes Culture

This interview was conducted in September, 2025 by UNDP as part of the regional Tsunami Project, supported by the Government of Japan. 

Every year, the sound of the evacuation bell echoes across Chumchonbansaladan School, a school on Koh Lanta Island, Krabi province in southern Thailand. It’s not an alarm - it’s a lesson. 

For Director Ratchadaporn Thanlek and Teacher Pongsak B. Puangphet, tsunami evacuation drills are more than just an exercise – they are a promise to protect their students, and to their families, and to their community through preparedness.

“Be prepared for everything, when you prepare, you are conscious, and when you learn, you will master it.” – This is the life moto that Director Ratchadaporn Thanlek lives by.

Turning lessons into leadership 

For both champions, who have become leading school teachers of the regional Tsunami Project, the reason behind their dedication was always clear. 

When the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004 struck, Pongsak’s sister was on Phuket Island, one of the hardest hits areas. His family waited three agonising days before learning she had survived. Since then, he dedicated himself to building resilience, becoming a preparedness instructor and later a facilitator supporting other schools in their preparedness efforts. 

For Ratchadaporn, living and working in a tsunami-prone area has made preparedness deeply personal. She dedicated herself to preparing her students for tsunamis. Her commitment and proactive approach have made Chumchonbansaladan School a model for others, showcasing how school leadership and preparedness can protect future generations. Her dedication embodies the true heart of this World Tsunami Awareness Day: preparedness saves lives.

From lessons to action

Three years ago, when Chumchonbansaladan School joined the UNDP-Government of Japan regional Tsunami Project - an initiative to help strengthen school tsunami preparedness across Asia and the Pacific - they turned their motivation into action. 

With support from the project, Ratchadapron, Pongsak, other school teachers and student leaders at Chumchonbansaladan School developed a tsunami evacuation plan that included measures to support students with disabilities. Together, they assessed evacuation routes, communicated with foreign teachers and students, and conducted drills, working together with students, parents, and local authorities to turn tsunami preparedness into an ongoing, participatory process,

“We learn together,” says Pongsak. “It’s a participatory process, we assess the area, divide responsibilities, and test the plan to see what works and what needs to improve.”

At Chumchonbansaladan School, preparedness is everyone’s responsibility. Each year, teachers work with students and the local education committee to review the school evacuation plan, ensuring it aligns with the provincial disaster management framework. 

From school to community 

At Chumchonbansaladan School, what began as school-based disaster drills soon revealed a critical gap: the evacuation centre was too small to accommodate everyone. 

Recognising these risks, they brought together community members and local administrative organizations to clear the area, build new stairs to improve accessibility to higher levels, and reinforce the overall structure to ensure that the evacuation centre could serve the whole community. Their efforts show that when preparedness starts in the classroom, its impact can extend far beyond the school gates. 

A lasting culture of preparedness 

What began as an initiative under the Tsunami Project has grown into a lasting culture of preparedness. At Chumchonbansaladan School, drills are part of the school calendar, and preparedness has become second nature. In this small island school, preparedness is a way of life, longer just a word or a topic to be studied.

Originally published by the United Nations Development Programme