This program addressed the resilience challenges of water supply systems located in steep terrain, specifically in two India hill cities: Aizawl in Mizoram, and Shimla in Himachal Pradesh.

The projects described below occurred before the March 28, 2025 M7.7 earthquake in Myanmar. These efforts highlight the importance of identifying and addressing risks before disasters occur in order to save lives and protect communities.

Developed university earthquake engineering curriculum and supported strengthening of graduate program; advanced structural analysis capacity and extensively mentored practicing engineers.

Earthquake scenarios and action plans provide city-specific objectives for disaster preparedness and mitigation, and were developed with government, science, business and academic sectors.

Many coastal communities throughout the world are exposed to coastal hazards such as hurricanes, storm surge, tsunami and sea level rise. As climate change worsens, the occurrence of these hazards is expected to be more frequent and intense, amplifying the risks to life, livelihood and assets along the coasts. Low-income coastal communities and small island developing nations are at particular risk as they usually lack access to disaster resilience resources other than those provided by nature, such as mangroves.

Created seismic retrofit designs for typical building types using local materials and construction techniques, and strengthened representative schools.

A series of earthquakes and hurricanes since 2008 have caused significant damage to Haiti’s school infrastructure and completely destroyed numerous schools. This project for the World Bank developed a better picture of the risk factors and challenges across the country. Our team’s findings and recommendations will help the Government of Haiti to prioritize measures for improving school facilities and the safety of students.

Using models to identify and quantify building damage from two likely earthquakes affecting the capital city, the scenarios will inform land use planning and building codes to reduce risk.

An effort to develop seismic strengthening and protect contents for a key building, raise awareness, and prepare schools in the city that is home to the Tibetan government-in-exile.

A comprehensive program that outlines how to keep students out of harm’s way who live in high-risk earthquake, tsunami, and volcano hazard zones in APEC countries.

Investigations of still dangerous slopes in Idukki, where 2018 landslides damaged thousands of homes. Partnered with Kerala University, Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), local officials.

One objective was to quantify and plan how to mitigate the high vulnerability of public schools. This led to hands-on training and seismic retrofit of many schools.

Scenarios of a plausible earthquake quantify impacts, including more than 50% of schools damaged, and guide communities to reduce extreme risk before a disaster.

Developed a road map for people who want to organize, educate, and lead local tsunami preparedness campaigns. Includes earth science, social science and emergency planning.

An annual learning event and simultaneous national school drill for all schools in Bhutan, which lies in a high seismic zone.

This study found significant earthquake vulnerability in Gujarat public school buildings and recommended steps to reduce and mitigate the risk.

GeoHazards International brought together international, national and state-level experts to conduct a BRCA focused on the Government of Kerala’s vision for climate and disaster resilience, energy conservation, and green buildings.

Scientists, engineers and planners together developed a likely scenario of earthquake impact to Quito, and based on this local leaders planned programs to mitigate that risk.

A study of earthquake risk reduction activities, needs, and barriers, to help guide GEM’s future tool and resource development for users who are not risk assessment experts.

Two Kathmandu hospitals had been assessed for disaster preparedness just before the 2015 M7.8 Gorkha earthquake. Pre- and post-earthquake findings are compared.

Students and staff of Tibetan schools in north India states first participated in a 2009 earthquake drill that now occurs annually and in many more schools across India.

Designed an innovative tsunami refuge in walking distance of dense neighborhoods where people do not have easy access to natural high ground. The elevated mound houses a park for daily use.

Created a disaster scenario that vividly depicts likely casualties, damages, and actions to reduce risk. Chinese partners learned to develop this tool for public awareness and risk-informed planning.

Created school programs and disseminated disaster awareness materials to over 50% of schoolchildren in cities with high seismic risk:Tashkent, Dushanbe and Almaty.

Engineers gained on-the-job experience to design and install retrofit solutions for a large school, which cost less than to rebuild and became a model.

This program developed practice in Bhutan to identify the structural vulnerabilities of local buildings before an earthquake occurs, which can inform risk mitigation, and developed detailed guidance for life-safety evaluations of local buildings after an earthquake, which can help the country manage efficient recovery.

Haiti’s health infrastructure faces substantial challenges delivering consistent, inclusive, quality care across the country. A Small Island Developing State with a challenging political context, Haiti has endured extreme consequences from several types of hazard events.

This project, completed in 2023, aimed to address the seismic vulnerability of Guwahati’s power infrastructure, given the city’s high earthquake risk due to its location in a seismically active zone, challenging topography, and large stock of unsafe buildings. As a critical hub for emergency response across Assam and the Northeast, Guwahati required a resilient power network to ensure continuity of essential services in the aftermath of a major earthquake.

Mansons trained hands-on to build bearing walls and reinforced concrete frames, applying Nepal’s building code that addresses reinforcement in simpler buildings.

Local engineers, geologists, and professors learned in intensive field courses how to assess hazard risk, apply safe development regulations and map hazards, and reduce landslide risk.

Thimphu Thromde (City), Bhutan’s capital, is vulnerable to a range of natural hazards, including earthquakes, floods, landslides, and fires. With the city’s continued growth and urbanization, and the resulting increase in population density and infrastructural developments, the risks from these hazards also grow, further compounded by the effects of changing climate patterns. Recognizing these challenges, the Thimphu Thromde Disaster Management and Contingency (TDMCP) has been developed by the Royal Government of Bhutan in 2016 to provide a proactive and systematic approach to disaster risk reduction and emergency management.

Nepal is located in one of the most seismically active areas in the world. Based on government and GeoHazards International (GHI) data, a vast number of school buildings are highly vulnerable to heavy damage or collapse. No child should have to risk their lives to get an education.

Prioritized short and long-term changes to improve post-disaster function of hospitals that provide critical medical services for a large number of people.

Building resilient health facilities in Mizoram through disaster preparedness planning, training, and scenario-based simulation exercises

A comprehensive three-day training program on the application of a customized WHO Hospital Safety Index (HSI) tool was conducted in Kathmandu, Nepal, from December 9-11, 2024. The event, organized by Nepal's Ministry of Health and Population in collaboration with its health emergency units, WHO (both country and regional offices), and partners including GeoHazards International (GHI) and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), aimed to enhance the resilience of the country's healthcare facilities against various hazards.

A disaster preparedness plan and drills tailored for students with visual impairments, so they practice how to respond safely during and after emergencies.

GHI collaborated with the U.S. Geological Survey to support families in Haiti and the Dominican Republic with actionable earthquake—and in coastal areas, tsunami—preparedness information based on sound earth science.

Global researchers, engineers, architects, builders and officials developed new design guidance to improve seismic behavior of concrete frames with masonry infill walls, a common building type.

International technical experts and regional policymakers in central asia developed strategies to manage very high seismic risk in capital cities of five new countries, formerly part of the USSR..

Westernmost Nepal, is threatened by a major earthquake that most of its buildings, including most schools, have not been designed or built to withstand. This places schoolchildren at great risk, and common school construction practices need to be made safer.

Villagers helped masons to seismically retrofit the local adobe school. In the process, they learned why and how to build in ways that resist earthquake damage.

Geologic hazards scenarios provide an excellent mechanism for thinking through complex problems in advance of earthquakes, landslides and volcanic eruptions.

By showing specific consequences–to people, buildings, infrastructure, and land–a scenario approach makes technical information understandable. People can envision what could happen in their own community, and they can make informed decisions to limit potential harm and damage.

Our research shows that scenarios can strongly motivate communities to implement long-term risk mitigation actions. But there is room for improvement in the way scenarios are developed, particularly in low-resource international contexts. Our research considered: How could scenarios be improved to motivate mitigation actions and policy change? Too often, past geologic hazard scenarios stopped at characterizing the risk and did not link these findings to policy and implementation pathways.

The Bhutan Health Emergency and Disaster Contingency Plan was developed through the WHO funding in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Haiti’s southern peninsula in August 2021, causing extensive building failures that killed thousands.

Guidance for nations to develop an effective school earthquake safety program, approved by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

An undergraduate internship included real world field study and a research report, which aligned with their studies and prepared them to apply for graduate school and pursue professional careers.

Nepal is located in one of the most seismically active areas in the world. Based on government and GeoHazards International (GHI) data, a vast number of school buildings are highly vulnerable to heavy damage or collapse during earthquake shaking. No child should have to risk their lives to get an education.

GHI is supporting Nepal in improving school safety, through longer-term solutions like constructing safer, new schools and strengthening existing vulnerable buildings. However, at the current rate of schools being replaced or strengthened, it will take close to 200 years to make all school buildings safe. In the meantime, there are many children who remain at high risk from their school buildings collapsing or experiencing heavy damage during earthquakes.

This initiative has significantly improved hospital fire preparedness across the region. Hospitals that used the checklists have identified and addressed critical safety gaps, reduced fire risks, and strengthened their emergency response systems. By combining practical tools, capacity building, and digital innovation, GHI’s work is helping create safer, more resilient healthcare systems—ready to protect lives when it matters the most.

Locally made Earthquake Desks are affordable, withstand heavy loads, and provide safer cover in schools that are not yet earthquake resistant.

Volunteers from an engineering company’s local office taught students, faculty and parents about disaster risk, preparedness, and how to mitigate specific vulnerabilities in buildings.