---
title: "University of Panama to Expand Disaster Drills and Risk Training"
date: 2026-10-19
author: "Panama Daily News"
url: https://panamadaily.news/2026/10/19/university-of-panama-to-expand-disaster-drills-and-risk-training/
categories:
  - "News"
---

# University of Panama to Expand Disaster Drills and Risk Training

The University of Panama is moving to reinforce its disaster preparedness programs, announcing plans to intensify simulation exercises and expand training in risk management across the institution. The decision places one of the country’s most important centers of higher education at the forefront of institutional emergency planning in Panama.

## What Happened

According to a report by Telemetro, the University of Panama — which comprises 19 faculties — will seek to strengthen training for disaster situations. The initiative focuses on preparing the university community to respond effectively to emergencies, through more frequent and more rigorous simulation drills as well as broader education in risk management.

The university’s size makes the effort significant. With 19 faculties spread across its campus and regional centers, the institution serves a large population of students, professors, and administrative staff, meaning that any preparedness measures adopted at the university level have the potential to reach thousands of people.

## Background

The University of Panama is the country’s principal public university and one of its oldest and largest institutions of higher learning. Its 19 faculties cover a wide range of academic disciplines, from engineering and architecture to medicine, law, and the natural sciences — fields that are directly relevant to disaster response and risk management.

Panama’s geographic position makes disaster preparedness a national priority. The country sits in a seismically active region, faces seasonal heavy rainfall and flooding, and is vulnerable to tropical storms affecting both its Caribbean and Pacific coasts. In recent years, authorities and institutions across Panama have increasingly emphasized risk management education and emergency response planning.

Universities across Latin America have similarly taken on greater roles in disaster risk reduction, both to protect their own campus communities and to serve as centers of knowledge and training for the wider public. Simulation exercises — such as earthquake and evacuation drills — are a widely used tool for testing institutional response plans and familiarizing students and staff with emergency procedures.

## What This Means for Panama

For the University of Panama, strengthened drills and risk management training mean a safer environment for one of the country’s largest concentrations of students and educators. Regular simulations help ensure that evacuation routes, communication protocols, and coordination procedures function properly before a real emergency occurs.

The initiative also carries broader significance. As a public institution with faculties in fields like engineering, medicine, and architecture, the university can serve as a multiplier for disaster preparedness knowledge — training professionals who will carry risk management practices into government agencies, hospitals, construction firms, and communities across the country.

What to watch next: the rollout of the expanded training program across the university’s 19 faculties, the frequency and scope of upcoming simulation exercises, and whether other Panamanian institutions follow the university’s example in strengthening their own emergency preparedness programs.

This story was originally reported by [Telemetro](https://www.telemetro.com/nacionales/universidad-panama-fortalecera-los-simulacros-y-la-capacitacion-gestion-riesgos-n6095794).