The Spanish government on Thursday unveiled an education plan for children aimed at preparing them to cope with natural disasters such as floods, fires, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

The plan was announced after a summer marked by forest fires that claimed the lives of four people and less than a year after catastrophic floods in eastern Spain that claimed more than 220 lives.

According to the Ministry of Education, the goal is to provide schools with a training package that promotes the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to deal safely and effectively with emergencies. The programme will cover not only natural disasters, but also chemical, industrial and nuclear accidents, as well as incidents involving the transportation of hazardous materials.

More than 8 million children in 25,000 schools will attend the mandatory training, which will be delivered through video, graphics and other media. Kindergarten and elementary school students will have at least two hours of instruction, while older students will have at least four hours.

The ministry explained that kindergarten children (ages 3-5) will learn to recognize an alarm and the first signs of danger, while older students will learn to seek higher ground in case of a flood or take shelter under a desk if an earthquake starts.

In addition, students will be trained to distinguish between information and disinformation in emergencies. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, speaking at the launch of the programme, said the educational initiative aims to better prepare children and young people to respond as best as possible to situations intensified by the climate crisis.