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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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..

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.

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

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.

A detailed scenario process engaged leaders and technical professionals in India’s most populous hill city to understand, assess and mitigate Aizawl’s very high risk of landslides and earthquakes.

Studied the feasibility of vertical evacuation solutions in Padang for safety during tsunamis. This could save lives in coastal cities where high ground does not exist or people do not have time to evacuate.

Technical review and field testing of a World Health Organization (WHO) tool to screen hospitals’ vulnerabilities to multiple hazards as well as their level of emergency and disaster preparedness.

Technical information about likely lethality of earthquakes in 21 cities-- including vulnerable aspects of the built environment, schools and hospitals--to help the cities prioritize risk mitigation efforts.

Delhi is located in a high seismic hazard zone, and thousands of school buildings are vulnerable to severe damage in an earthquake. We guided the seismic retrofit at a large school in the Delhi region, as part of a project to improve earthquake preparedness in the nation’s capital.

GeoHazards International (GHI) invested in local masons’ capacity to build earthquake-resistant schools that protect children, and to similarly construct other buildings. GHI worked with local officials and partner National Society for Earthquake Technology (NSET) Nepal to train local masons on earthquake-resistant building techniques, who then went on to construct an earthquake resilient school in Godawari Municipality, Kailali.

A manual and intensive training program for staff to back up utility systems, anchor objects, practice response, and prepare their hospitals to function through disasters.

Emergency planning and realistic disaster simulations for staff at hospitals in Bhutan, plus mitigations to keep the facilities functioning post disaster.

Professionals in India and the United States shared best practices on seismic risk management and planning for municipal water utilities, focusing on hill cities with high earthquake hazard.

In their own voice and style, youth in Cap-Haïtien share new knowledge about their city’s extreme earthquake and coastal risks, and how to take action for disaster resilience.

This promoted preparedness steps specific to where people live, and in plain language explained the science behind local risk. Outreach in Kreyol, French, Spanish, and English.

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.

A person’s immediate action when an earthquake begins makes a difference in safety. This evidence-based guidance emphasizes protective action for the local context.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

These consensus-based action plans, which include ways to prepare for and reduce risk in schools and health facilities, were adopted into national policy.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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