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El Salvador earthquake could have been reduced with international
help for risk assessment, planning and preparedness, recent
study fundings show
Released: January 17, 2001
Palo Alto, CA - Earthquake devastation can be greatly reduced
by inexpensive actions taken ahead of time. Earthquake experts
at GeoHazards International (GHI) are familiar with the perils
faced by many Latin American countries and know how to help
them reduce these risks before major disasters hit, instead
of afterwards. A recent study released by GHI indicates that
the lack of earthquake preparation and the threat of earthquake
induced landslides in San Salvador was known before hand, and
these and other problems in threatened cities worldwide will
continue to cause devastation until addressed, by the international
community.
"Saturday's major quake is a huge tragedy. It indicates all
that should have been and could have been done," said Dr. Brian
Tucker, a Geophysicist and President of the nonprofit organization.
"There must be a global response to this disaster, not only
to help recover, but to help reduce the damage from the next
one." Tucker and other experts at GHI have been studying and
reporting on the special vulnerability of developing countries
since 1993. Population growth in urban areas, poor construction,
political upheavals, and a lack of government resources add
up to a fragile balance. As they grow and begin to prosper,
countries in Latin America and elsewhere cannot invest in city-based
planning and preparedness for emergencies. So, when disaster
strikes, the losses are monumental. "Our work in Latin America
shows that, with help from developed countries and world-wide
organizations and corporations, this situation can be changed,"
said Dr. Carlos Villacis, a GHI Earthquake Engineer who has
worked with Quito, Ecuador and other Latin American cities.
"This tragic loss of life and livelihood could have been reduced
greatly. When we work with a city like Quito or San Salvador,
we help the people and their leaders."
GHI has completed several city-based projects to assess local
vulnerability, raise awareness and motivate action by proposing
plans to reduce future risk. Cities can then understand the
risks, change their building practices, protect schools and
plan for communications and emergency response systems. Tucker
says that investing in scenario forecasts, action plans and
education of the people and leaders is not very costly and can
mean a much lower cost to respond and recover from earthquakes
and landslides. GeoHazards International is a non-profit organization
working towards the reduction of death and suffering due to
earthquakes in the world's most vulnerable communities. GHI
has worked extensively on earthquake risk in Latin America and
Asia for the last 8 years, and in San Salvador, El Salvador
for the last 3 years. Based in Palo Alto, California, GHI staff
are internationally recognized as experts in the field of community
seismic risk assessment and planning for risk reduction in third
world cities. "It is sad," said Tucker. "The people of El Salvador
and their neighbors are doing the best they can to recover.
It is chaotic, and they have help from relief agencies and other
governments. But we need to do more work ahead of time to avoid
the chaos, confusion, and damage that results in these vulnerable
parts of the world."
Through its Global Earthquake Safety Initiative, a project
that assesses the risk of loss of life from earthquakes in cities
worldwide, GHI recently determined that many of the necessary
actions to reduce casualties in San Salvador are low cost and
could be feasibly implemented. For example, several of the problems
faced by emergency response teams could have been avoided by
coordinating agencies so that they know the role they need to
play in emergencies, and that community leaders have the ability
to make decisions without waiting for lengthy bureaucratic processes.
GHI hopes to continue its work in Latin America, especially
on the heels of the recent earthquake. So far, earthquake vulnerability
data has been collected for 21 cities worldwide. Aspects of
each city that contribute to its overall risk have been analyzed.
The results indicate that while San Salvador has the highest
overall risk of earthquake-induced landslide risk among Latin
American cities, there are other cities among those studied
that have greater overall risk of life loss, and possibly more
that have not yet been studied. Landslides in San Salvador are
a GHI focus because as urbanization rapidly increases, more
people move to the city's outskirts in the hilly landslide-prone
areas. In a joint study with the United Nation's Center for
Regional Development, experts from GHI determined that during
an earthquake, landslides are the single greatest risk threatening
the people of San Salvador. Preparation and planning are the
cornerstones to preventing life loss and economic collapse in
communities at risk from earthquakes, and the lack of such planning
is presently hampering rescue and recovery efforts in San Salvador.
"Unfortunately our predictions are coming true today," said
Villacis. "While the eyes of the world are turned again to Latin
America, we should see and support the preparedness work which
so many countries have been unable to afford. Developing countries
will never become developed if they are constantly devastated
like this." Authorities and international experts are predicting
that the losses from Saturday's quake will exceed the losses
in El Salvador from Hurricane Mitch, which tore through the
entire region only 27 months ago, in October and November of
1998. Costs to avoid loss through preparation and planning are
insignificant compared with the billions of dollars that are
now expected will be needed to help El Salvador recover from
the quake. For example, in the 1986 earthquake that last struck
El Salvador, it is estimated that losses totaled 31% of the
Gross National Product. GeoHazards International works with
communities that are most in need and are most ready to be helped.
San Salvador has been a focus of recent work since it is well
poised as a newly democratic, economic hub that is stable and
ready to work towards reducing the threat of natural disasters.
However, developing countries cannot make progress or even survive
if they are devastated by major geological disasters, such as
hurricanes and earthquakes, every few years.
"It is essential that communities such as San Salvador be
given the help they need to prepare in advance for natural disasters,
to reduce the cities' vulnerability and ensure that the necessary
services and programs are in place when needed," said Tucker.
He explained that while it is possible and feasible to lower
the risk of life loss and economic loss, nations that can afford
to help must do so. "A tragedy in El Salvador's cities and towns
is a tragedy for the entire world," said Tucker.
Additional graphics, statistics, disaster mitigation examples,
and Spanish language translation are available.
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For further information, contact:
Brian Tucker
GeoHazards International
Tel: (650) 614-9050
Fax: (650) 614-9051
E-mail: tucker@geohaz.org
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