(APELL: Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at the Local Level)Knowledge management and education can help communities located in hazard-prone areas gain a better grasp of the ways to cope with risks. Education has been recognized as an essential element in sustainable development and is entirely linked with disaster risk reduction strategies, since it accelerates the progress of societies toward disaster resilience. This brochure describes the APELL process. APELL, standing for Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at the Local Level, is a community-based, participatory process designed to create public awareness of hazards and to ensure that communities are adequately prepared to respond.