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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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

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

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.