ARTICLE - EARTHQUAKE RISK REDUCTION

RISK REDUCTION CRITICAL AS HAITI REMAINS PRONE TO "SEVERE EARTHQUAKE SHAKING," UN SEISMOLOGIST SAYS
(iStock Analyst) - By Xinhua

UNITED NATIONS -- With Haiti "susceptible to severe earthquake shaking" in the future, a UN Development Program (UNDP) seismologist on Monday said that risk reduction is critical for the Caribbean nation so that the country can be better equipped for the next possible strike.

There is a "major gap" with risk reduction in Haiti, which remains a challenge for the future, Eric Calais told reporters here at a press conference.

He said that mitigation measures are needed so the devastation caused by future events will be "as small as possible."

"Risk reduction for natural hazard is key to efficient and sustainable development," he said. "When the next earthquake hits Haiti, we have to make sure that the country is prepared -- Haiti cannot afford to be as unprepared as it was Jan. 12, 2010."

This is the goal for Port-au-Prince and for Haiti in general since the region is "susceptible to severe earthquake shaking in the future," he said, adding that earthquake risk reduction is part of the reconstruction of the country.

"Earthquakes are much more insidious than floods and hurricanes, as the Earth can remain silenced for decades and suddenly unleash vast amounts of energy without prior warning," Calais warned.

The Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake destroyed 100 percent of Haiti's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and in combination with the impact of seven hurricanes between 2004 and 2008, which cost Haiti 25 percent of its GDP, it translated into "major setbacks for development and for establishing an economically independent state, " he noted.

At a time of crisis, Calais said that the "flurry of information" made the issue harder to face, which made clear in the following months that "specific efforts had to be dedicated to ensuring that earthquake risk reduction would be accounted for in every aspect of the recovery and reconstruction of the country."

"This is probably the only country on the planet that is sitting on the plate boundary and does not have any means of monitoring what the ground is doing under their feet and this is changing and it's a breakthrough," Calais said, noting that Haiti is in the process of obtaining and operating its own seismic monitoring network.

He highlighted an essential map that UNDP has developed, which determines what zones are most susceptible to seismic shaking. The Haitian government, private sector and residents will also use the tool to build back more resilient structures, which will vary depending on ground stability levels in each zone.

Initiatives are also currently underway to mitigate risk, Calais said, citing UNDP's new plan which aims to reduce vulnerability to seismic threats by improving the resilience of infrastructure and reducing risks for Haitians in poor housing.

Awareness programs to inform Haitians of critical actions that could minimize the impact are also being initiated, he said.

UNDP, in collaboration with local governments, are training Haitian architects and engineers in specific techniques in construction for earthquake-resistant structures, Calais added.