The International Platform for Reducing Earthquake Disaster (IPRED) field operations and disaster risk reduction efforts

IPRED promotes collaborative projects to advance and share knowledge between scientists, governments and local populations, with an emphasis on benefits to society and capacity building. The Platform’s experts may go on field missions following earthquake disasters, or to provide expert knowledge to UNESCO projects focusing on the built environment.

Post-earthquake field investigations are conducted at the invitation of the affected country. They aim to provide an overview of available solutions for building back better and strengthening local practices through knowledge sharing. Drawing lessons from past earthquakes is essential to reduce future risks and improve preparedness practices through the implementation of strong national building codes.

IPRED acknowledges that natural hazards will persist, and that it is crucial to apply the lessons learned from past disasters to strengthen society's resilience. Sharing experiences of disasters helps to keep the memory of natural hazards present in daily life, fosters political will and public awareness for better earthquake preparedness, and ultimately builds a culture of safety for people around the world.

Through the International Platform for Reducing Earthquake Disaster, Member States and UNESCO seek to proactively reduce earthquake disaster risks for future generations and promote international cooperation for a more sustainable and resilient future.

On 6 February 2023, a significant seismic event, constituted of two earthquakes, occurred in the East Anatolian Fault Zone. A magnitude 7.8 earthquake first occurred in southern Türkiye, near the Southern border of Syria. It was followed approximately 9 hours later by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake located around 95 kilometres to the southwest. 

The first earthquake was the most devastating to hit Türkiye in more than 20 years. This event had profound effects on the livelihoods and infrastructure throughout southeast Türkiye and northwest Syria. In response to this disaster, the Istanbul Technical University invited the remainder of IPRED members to hold the annual international convention in Türkiye and execute an on-site investigation of the earthquakes’ impact in September 2023.  

The investigation spanned three cities in Türkiye: Kahramanmaraş, Pazarcık, and Gölbaşı. Despite the seven months elapsed since the earthquakes and the subsequent demolition of many damaged buildings, IPRED members were able to assess the damage to many structures, due to the broad extent of the devastation caused by the earthquakes. 

Specifically, in Kahramanmaraş, the earthquakes led to the demolition of numerous apartment buildings in areas characterized by weak ground composition. Weak ground, often saturated with water or constituted of soft clay or sand, contrasts with strong ground, typified by solid rock or well-compacted soil. Buildings constructed on weak ground are significantly more vulnerable during seismic events. This was evidenced by the collapse of numerous buildings in low-lying areas of Kahramanmaraş, while buildings on hilltops, built on harder ground, remained standing. 

In Gölbaşı, several apartment buildings tilted due to land subsidence, and brick walls, a common architectural feature in Türkiye, collapsed. Religious structures such as mosques and minarets also sustained damage.  

From the site assessments, the Istanbul Technical University highlighted four factors contributing to the total collapse of buildings, including technical aspects like material quality deficiencies or ground liquefaction, evolving knowledge levels with advancements in chemical technology, unregulated production at construction sites, and post-construction modifications. 

Despite the extensive damage, some buildings remained standing. IPRED members, utilizing collective knowledge from eleven countries, discussed the reasons behind their survival and deliberated on optimal design and construction methods for future buildings. The results of this discussion will be published in an upcoming publication.

Latin America and the Caribbean is characterized by high seismic activity, and the countries of the region have a high risk of earthquakes. To improve earthquake-resistant construction practices and to foster policies that reduce disaster risk, UNESCO is implementing the project “Capacity Building for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Built Environment in Latin America and the Caribbean (BERLAC)”, with the support of IPRED experts, from 2020 to 2023.

The project aims to secure safer new buildings in Guatemala and Haiti, ensure that school facilities are safe in the Dominican Republic, strengthen existing buildings in Cuba, and develop risk-informed policymaking in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru.

The project includes a fourth component: developing policy recommendations to strengthen buildings against earthquakes, which will receive support from Japan, a member of IPRED, and facilitate the exchange of current international practices on similar regulations and policies with local authorities from five countries in the region.

Iran is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. Earthquakes with magnitudes above 7.0 occur frequently and can impact infrastructure within a radius of over 100 kilometres.

On 12 November 2017 at 18:18 UTC, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck the Kermanshah province, near the border with Iraq. It was the deadliest earthquake of 2017, with 630 people killed, more than 8,100 injured, and many more missing. 

IPRED experts were invited to participate in the local authorities’ risk assessment and provide international knowledge on building code practices. Following consultations with the local authorities and a collaborative assessment of the damage, it was found that practices regarding non-structural component could be strengthened in Iran’s building code. Observations following the earthquake found that buildings constructed with steel bands and engineered materials suffered few damages that would affect the core integrity of the buildings but did suffer significant non-structural damages such as damaged windows, flooring or trim. In contrast, local constructions with mud and glass walls withstood the earthquake.  

Investigations to further study the steel frame structures demonstrated the importance of designing and retrofitting buildings to withstand earthquakes. While non-structural damage did cause a lot of casualties, Iran’s building code was well implemented and government bodies such as the Iran Housing Foundation and the Organization for Development, Renovation and Equipping Schools functioned well in providing quick damage assessments, plans for rebuilding and repairing as well as providing timely risk assessments for schools.

Bohol is the tenth largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the centre of the Visaya archipelago. The islands of the Philippines are formed by the ridges of underwater elevations and are characterized by mountainous terrain. These mountains are part of the active volcanic belt that spreads over the marginal zone of the Pacific Ocean, known as the "Pacific Ring of Fire." In this region, the plates forming the floor of the Indian Ocean and the western part of the Pacific Ocean are pushed under the Asian plate.

On 15 October 2015, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurred at 08:12 AM local time in Bohol, Philippines. More than 100 aftershocks were felt in the following hours, days and weeks, increasing the damage and the number of victims.  

In total, the earthquake affected over 1.2 million people, resulting in 222 deaths, with 195 in Bohol alone. Additionally, 976 people were injured and 8 were confirmed missing. Over 79,000 infrastructures including homes, roads, churches, schools and public buildings were damaged, of which 14,500 were totally destroyed, resulting in over 34,000 displaced people.

Four months after the earthquake, a 5-day field investigation was organized in coordination with national and local authorities, involving IPRED experts and other bodies. The participants included 17 people from Japan, Kazakhstan, Philippines and the United States of America working in universities, public institutions, research institutions and religious bodies.

IPRED supported the field investigation to share scientific findings and lessons learned from past earthquake disasters around the world, and to provide technical information to the Philippines. The investigation team focused on evaluating reinforced concrete buildings and historical churches, conducting analyses to determine their seismic resistance and derive lessons for future safety measures.

The recommendations for designing structures, selecting materials, and zoning of buildings in Bohol were based on investigations of multiple buildings under the guidance of local authorities. This involved sharing knowledge from other earthquake-prone countries about using reinforced concrete foundation beams, determining the dimensions and placement of columns, connecting beams and columns, and other structural considerations such as ensuring material quality and meeting earthquake-resistant construction standards. Additionally, the location of buildings was discussed to minimize the impact of earthquakes on the local built environment.

The experts also evaluated the damage to several churches. After consulting with local church members and seismic experts, they recommended retrofitting the buildings with seismic protection during their reconstruction.

On 23 October 2011, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck at 1:41 AM local time near Erciş. Less than a month later, on 9 November 2011, another earthquake with a 5.6 magnitude struck the town of Edremit, south of Van. The earthquakes caused 644 fatalities and 2,608 people were injured. Approximately 4,000 buildings collapsed or were seriously damaged.

A team of 15 researchers from France, Romania, and Türkiye carried out a UNESCO-IPRED post-earthquake mission in Van, Türkiye. Their diverse backgrounds and expertise helped them achieve the two goals supported by IPRED:

• To quickly assess the resilience of various types of standing buildings
• To evaluate the efficiency of different quick assessment techniques through detailed analyses.

The mission was to test the ability of buildings to withstand earthquakes. Various methods were used to compare results and determine the most effective way to quickly assess damage during an emergency. The team also conducted more detailed tests using computer analyses. They examined blueprints for newer buildings that had been constructed to be more resilient after a major earthquake in Türkiye in 2007. The team found that even buildings that appeared identical could have differences, so they had to use different tests depending on the structure.

UNESCO initiated an ambitious project to consolidate the expertise and interventions of IPRED. The project aims to develop a database that provides up-to-date and easily accessible information on assessing buildings damaged by earthquakes, as well as on policies related to the reduction of earthquake disaster risk or revisions of national building codes. The database will assist IPRED experts in evaluating building safety and identifying causes of damage quickly and easily during interventions.

Open science has the potential to make the scientific process more transparent, inclusive, and democratic. It represents a true game-changer in bridging the gaps in science, technology, and innovation. That is why the database will be open-source, fulfilling the human right to science, promoting a culture of building safety, and reducing the impact of earthquakes through better preparation.

Although the database is still under development, it is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.