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Newsletter
Assessments & Scenarios
People have a hard time visualizing how a major threat could become a disaster that will affect them and their family, in specific ways, for months and years. Local leaders are often overwhelmed by the scale of the problem, or in some cases are not aware of it.
That’s why we develop disaster scenarios that personalize the impacts. That’s why we assess the specific vulnerabilities of local buildings and infrastructure. Our process engages diverse voices along with local and international experts. The results make complex problems approachable and provide a compelling basis for local decisions about growth, policy, and action.
Projects
Strengthening Haiti's Health Facilities for Disaster Resilience
2025 - 2027
Haiti
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.
Enhancing Thimphu City Resilience through Disaster Management Planning
2022 - Ongoing
Thumphu, Bhutan
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.
Mangrove Conservation as Nature-based Solution Program
2023 - Ongoing
Philippines
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.
Fire Safety of COVID-Designated Health Facilities
India, Maldives
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.
“Scenarios depict how a plausible event could cause certain losses, and how proactive changes would lead to safer outcomes. We typically include stories and local voices to personalize our science-based findings.”
Janise Rodgers, PhD.
GeoHazards International
Blog
“I admire GHI because no one else is doing the independent, objective work they're doing. They're not constrained by bureaucracy or politics — so they can offer expertise, provide access to a network, bring resources together — and do all those things with integrity.”
Former Senior Regional Advisor, Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance
Publications
Home Coming (Technical): A story about how a strong earthquake affects a family with "left-behind" children in Weinan, Shaanxi Province, China.
Follows a family impacted by a major earthquake in central China, where the deadliest recorded earthquake occurred in 1556. This more technical version for public officials and decision makers. There is a separate version, in graphic novel format, for non-technical readers including rural families and youth (see above).
2019
Home Coming (Graphic Novel): A story about how a strong earthquake affects a family with "left-behind" children in Weinan, Shaanxi Province, China.
Follows a family impacted by a major earthquake in central China, where the deadliest recorded earthquake occurred in 1556. This version, in graphic novel format, is for non-technical readers including rural families and youth. There is a separate more technical version for public officials and decision makers (see below).
2019
Guidance on Developing Messages for Protective Actions to Take During Earthquake Shaking
What people should do during earthquake shaking, to protect themselves from injury or death? It depends. Evidence-based guidance describes a process and key considerations for creating effective messages for different contexts.
2018
Towards a Safer Rukum (West): A Magnitude 7.8 Earthquake Scenario and Steps to Build Disaster Resilience
Details how a plausible disaster would impact the district and how to improve resilience. A storyline follows local characters and includes practical lessons to prepare. Rukum (West) Appendices contain detailed technical findings of use to local decision makers as they manage safe growth and plan disaster response.
Link:
2018
Protective Actions Implementation Workbook
This workbook follows the steps to implement a messaging program about what to do during earthquake shaking given the local risk, building types, and other factors. This is a companion to Guidance on Developing Messages for Protective Actions to Take During Earthquake Shaking.
2018
Towards a Safer Dadeldhura: A Magnitude 7.8 Earthquake Scenario and Steps to Build Disaster Resilience
Details how a plausible disaster would impact the district and how to improve resilience. A storyline follows local characters and includes practical lessons to prepare. Dadeldhura Appendices contain detailed technical findings of use to local decision makers as they manage safe growth and plan disaster response.
Link:
2018
Towards a Safer Bajhang: A Magnitude 7.8 Earthquake Scenario and Steps to Build Disaster Resilience
Details how a plausible disaster would impact the district and how to improve resilience. A storyline follows local characters and includes practical lessons to prepare. Bajhang Appendices contain detailed technical findings of use to local decision makers as they manage safe growth and plan disaster response.
Link:
2018
Background Papers and Supplementary Technical Information: Guidance on Developing Messages for Protective Actions to Take During Earthquake Shaking
Epidemiology of Deaths and Earthquake Injuries,
Protective Action in Immediate Fuse Events: a Literature Review,
Designing Risk Communication Programs to Promote Adaptive Human Behavior During Earthquakes and Tsunamis,
On the Nature of Strong Ground Motions during Damaging Earthquakes,
Understanding and Mitigating Building Collapses,
Public perceptions of protective action, survey in three countries,
Summary of discussions with an international group of disaster messaging professionals
2015
Field Manual: Post-Earthquake Safety Assessment for Buildings, ATC-20-1 Bhutan
Royal Government of Bhutan, Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, The World Bank; Applied Technology Council Endowment Fund. A detailed reference for engineers to use after an earthquake occurs, when they must evaluate thousands of buildings and determine whether these are safe to occupy. Features damages common to masonry and rammed-earth building types in Bhutan. For sale through Applied Technology Council:
2014
Conceptual Seismic Design Guidance for New Framed Infill Buildings
This manual for engineers and designers explains how the building type known as concrete-frames-with-masonry-infill-walls can be designed and built for greater seismic safety. Around the globe, this common building type has been lethal in earthquakes. Five affordable strategies are presented.
2014
Bir Hospital Assessment Report, Nepal
A seismic assessment of Bir Hospital, a tertiary referral and teaching hospital run by the National Academy of Medical Sciences. Bir's disaster preparedness is a high priority because it offers numerous medical specialties, serves as a center for disaster response, and provides care for Kathmandu’s poor and a large number of people.
2013
Seismic Hazard and Building Vulnerability in Post-Soviet Central Asian Republics
A compilation of current seismic and engineering data on the seismic hazard of the capitals of the Central Asian republics available in the English language. It comes to the conclusion that the risk to residents of these cities is extremely high.
2013
Reducing Earthquake Risks in Hospitals from Equipment, Contents, Architectural Elements and Building Utility Systems
Shows how to equip hospitals to function in a disaster: plan for backup utilities, find and mitigate vulnerabilities in the buildings, and secure objects that could topple and cause injuries in an earthquake. Intended for hospital administrators, engineers, and maintenance staff.
Additional Resources
2011
A Culture at Risk: An Initial Assessment of Seismic Vulnerabilities in Upper Dharamsala, India
Earthquake vulnerabilities endanger the Tibetan community’s efforts to preserve its cultural heritage in Dharamsala. Recommended improvements to protect the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (LTWA) and other structures.
2006
Seismic Safety for Adobe Homes: What Everyone Should Know
Adobe is brittle and weak and vulnerable to earthquake damage. Techniques described are intended to 1) reduce damage to adobe homes in small and medium earthquakes, and 2) help reduce collapse of adobe homes in earthquakes. They MAY NOT PREVENT COLLAPSE in a strong earthquake.
2005
Global Earthquake Safety Initiative (GESI)
Technical information about likely lethality of earthquakes in 21 cities-- including vulnerable aspects of the built environment, schools and hospitals. The model alerts and helps the cities prioritize risk mitigation efforts, with special attention to strengthening school buildings.
2001
Kathmandu Valley’s Earthquake Scenario
This report describes possible impacts of a potential earthquake to impact Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. The description is intended for use in planning and preparedness exercises and in raising awareness of Kathmandu Valley’s earthquake risk. See also Kathmandu Valley Earthquake Risk Management Action Plan.
1999
The Quito, Ecuador Earthquake Risk Management Project
Quito has experienced several strong intensity earthquakes over the last 250 years. Seismic risk has increased with population growth, poorly constructed buildings, and uncontrolled development. This report describes effects of future earthquakes and prioritizes risk management options.
1994
Uses of Earthquake Damage Scenarios
An earthquake damage scenario (EDS) describes the anticipated effects that a large but likely future earthquake could have on facilities that are critical to an urban area. By tracing the social and economic events likely to ensue, the EDS can raise awareness of earthquake risk among citizens, officials, and the private sector. It can also help administrators to select earthquake-hazard-reduction strategies and set funding priorities. Part I: Uses of EDS. Part II: EDS for Los Angeles and Tokyo. Part III: EDS for Disaster Management. Part IV: EDS for International Insurance Companies. Part V: EDS methods.
1992
Documentation of Traditional Housing Typologies in India in High Seismic Areas
2009-2010 - GeoHazards Society, with Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (IITH), studied whether the traditional housing typologies used by the community in high seismic prone areas are strong enough to resist the anticipated intensity of earthquakes in the region.
Keeping Schools Safe in Earthquakes
A process for nations to develop an effective school earthquake safety program, prepared for Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).