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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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. No child should have to risk their lives to get an education.

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.

This innovative online disaster awareness curriculum, including self-study and teacher training, scaled nationwide and reached remote corners of Turkey.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.