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Improving Family Resilience for Earthquakes in Hispaniola

Description: 

Due to its geographical and geotectonic characteristics, Hispaniola Island is exposed to considerable risk from seismic events. Rapid population growth and urbanization are causing a rapid increase in vulnerability of communities and disaster impacts in Haiti and Dominican Republic, which share the island. Land degradation and unplanned growth in urban and rural areas unsuitable for development, lack of compliance with building codes are the main drivers of most of the current vulnerability in the island. For years, stakeholders have been working in the development and implementation of strategies to provide practical family preparedness in vulnerable communities about the seismic risk but still these efforts are not enough to increase resilience. For that reason GeoHazards International (GHI) with support of USGS have been conducting a three-year program to supply families in Haiti and the DR with practical earthquake preparedness information based on robust earth science in four communities in the Cibao Valley in the DR and three communities in Haiti.

GHI and local partners are conducting family disaster preparedness activities, a public awareness campaign and focused community interventions designed to improve the safety of families from local natural hazards. Examples of interventions include support for basic, practical preparedness measures such as local and home hazard assessments, support to families to develop their emergency plans, technical advice and assistance with anchoring or relocating objects in the home that could fall or create hazards during earthquake. The program is also developing sourcebooks with practical family preparedness information in local languages and in English as a resource for disaster safety advocates interested in helping their communities build resilience.

Session: Collective Impact in Earthquake Science

Type: Oral

Date: 4/18/2023

Presentation Time: 08:30 AM (local time)

Presenting Author: Delka Espinal

Student Presenter: No

Invited Presentation: 

Authors