Earthquake vulnerability is rapidly increasing worldwide, especially in developing countries. The rapid urbanization, lack of proper planning, constraint of resources to response, absence of vulnerability reduction measures, poor enforcement of existing measures, and most importantly lack of awareness of the community are the main reasons for increasing this vulnerability. The need to combat the resultant colossal destruction of earthquake has been at the forefront concern of vulnerable nations.

An earthquake is a natural event and its risk cannot be completely eliminated. However, the destruction of earthquake can be minimized largely by comprehensive earthquake preparedness and mitigation strategies. The earthquakes in Haiti and Chile provide a good comparative example. Given the fact that both countries sit atop of large active faults, in the first quarter of 2010, Haiti faced a major earthquake of 7.0 magnitude which resulted to about 230,000 deaths, while Chile which was hit with even more severe quake of 8.8 magnitude had only 486 deaths. This incomparable difference between the two countries’ causalities comes from the implementation of comprehensive earthquake preparedness and mitigation strategies.

The Earthquake Vulnerability Reduction Course (EVRC) has been designed to achieve the goal of supporting the creation of earthquake resilient society. With rich experiences in providing similar training courses on natural disaster risk reduction at international level, ADPC provides a model training experience in this course by integrating study materials, audio visual tools, and interactive learning strategies, while bringing together earthquake preparedness and mitigation experience from severely affected countries around the world.

KEY ISSUES:

• Relationship between rapid unstable development and earthquake vulnerability
• Hands-on practices on diagnostic tools and techniques for earthquake hazard, vulnerability and risk assessment
• Effective strategies for earthquake vulnerability reduction and resistance
• Multi-sectoral partnership for implementing comprehensive earthquake vulnerability reduction strategies
• Capacity building on earthquake preparedness & response functions, and planning & recovery for sustainable development

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

By completing the course, the EVRC participants will learn how to

• Develop organized approaches for understanding earthquake riskand its impacts
• Measure the extent of earthquake vulnerability, and assess the capacity to response
• Formulate and apply appropriate strategies for comprehensive earthquake vulnerability and risk reduction
• Prepare for earthquake emergencies for efficient earthquake vulnerability reduction
• Integrate earthquake risk management strategies with recovery and rehabilitation plans and programs

This course is particularly useful for those concerned with earthquake vulnerability reduction upon the development context. It is open to all countries. Participation by decision makers, elected and appointed national and local administrators, development and planning authorities, as well as officials in urban planning, housing, public works, and related sectors. is especially encouraged. The course is of a certain benefits to private real estate land developers, personnel from emergency response agencies, and officials from UN, NGOs, and other international agencies working on disaster risk reduction and mitigation.