Publications

Primary guidance for developing “next generation” scenarios, with emphasis on earthquake and landslide hazards.

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).

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).

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:

Towards a Safer Bajhang, Nepali version

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:

Towards a Safer Dadeldhura, Nepali Version

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.

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:

Towards a Safer Rukum (West), Nepali Version

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.

Industrial designer Ido Bruno's journal of training a team of carpenters and welders in Bhutan to produce Earthquake Desks, designed to protect schoolchildren from heavy earthquake debris.

1. Epidemiology of Deaths and Earthquake Injuries, 

2. Protective Action in Immediate Fuse Events: a Literature Review, 

3. Designing Risk Communication Programs to Promote Adaptive Human Behavior During Earthquakes and Tsunamis, 

4. On the Nature of Strong Ground Motions during Damaging Earthquakes, 

5. Understanding and Mitigating Building Collapses, 

6. Public perceptions of protective action, survey in three countries, 

7. Summary of discussions with an international group of disaster messaging professionals

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.

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:

A seismic assessment of the only tertiary referral hospital for children in the Kathmandu Valley, and its disaster preparedness is a high priority. Almost half of patients travel from far and remote areas outside the Valley to access care.

A seismic assessment of Kathmandu’s specialty centre providing essential care for women and newborn babies. A tertiary central hospital popularly known as Prasuti Griha, its disaster preparedness is a high priority.

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.

Recommendations to improve preparedness at Bhutan’s main district hospital, facing high earthquake hazard and geographic isolation that will affect relief and resupply.

Recommendations to reduce vulnerability at the sole hospital in a remote district. Earthquake-triggered landslides that will block access, so the hospital must prepare to provide essential care in isolation.

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.

The assessment report is considered a best practice report in the hospital seismic safety sector, and it informed extensive preparedness and planning in this hospital.

A study for Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation of earthquake risk reduction activities, needs, and barriers worldwide. The purpose is to guide future tool and resource development for users who are not risk assessment experts.

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

• Course for Maintenance and Facilities Personnel: Instructor Guide  

• Course for Nurses: Student Guide

• Course for Nurses: Instructor Guide 

• Course for Doctors: Instructor Guide

A policy framework and ways to keep students out of harm’s way who live in earthquake, tsunami, and volcano zones in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries.

1. A program to reduce school earthquake risks and to educate students, faculty, and parents about earthquake preparedness. Developed for India schools and applicable elsewhere.

Resources:

Teacher Sensitization: Instructor Guide 

Volunteer Training: Instructor Guide

Volunteer Training: Student Guide

A guide for non-technical people (concerned citizens, government officials, staff at I/NGOs) who want to organize, educate, and lead local tsunami preparedness campaigns. Compiles earth science, social science and emergency planning information.

This guide explains how to prepare schools before an earthquake, to avoid significant injuries or blocked exits that result when unsecured objects fall during shaking.

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.

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.

A case study in Gujarat, India.

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.

Earthquake damage scenarios and action plans in nine case-study cities: Latin America (Antofagasta, Guayaquil, Tijuana); Asia (Bandung, Tashkent, Zigong); Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe (Addis Ababa, lzmir and Skopje). Lessons could be applied to other earthquake-prone cities. See separate case studies of Tijuana, Mexico; Antofagasta, Chile; and Guayaquil, Ecuador.

A scenario of a hypothetical but likely earthquake, based on a probabilistic seismic risk, shows vulnerabilities that put people in danger and the likely damage to buildings and infrastructure. Includes an Action Plan to reduce these risks. See also the RADIUS overview report of nine cities at risk.

GeoHazards International convened more than eighty government and non-government institutions to develop an earthquake mitigation Action Plan, which was released and endorsed by the Prime Minister of Nepal in 1999. See also 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.

A scenario of a hypothetical but likely earthquake, based on a probabilistic seismic risk, shows vulnerabilities that put people in danger and the likely damage to buildings and infrastructure. Includes an Action Plan to reduce these risks. See also the RADIUS overview report of nine cities at risk.

A scenario of a hypothetical but likely earthquake, based on a probabilistic seismic risk, shows vulnerabilities that put people in danger and the likely damage to buildings and infrastructure. Includes an Action Plan to reduce these risks. See also the RADIUS overview report of nine cities at risk.

International technical experts and regional policymakers together developed strategies for urban earthquake risk management in the Central Asian Republics: Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan.

A description of the Quito, Ecuador school earthquake safety project, which prioritized high risk school buildings and presented solutions to strengthen them.

Link:

Investing in Quito's Future, Spanish Version

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.

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.

A process for nations to develop an effective school earthquake safety program, prepared for Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

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.