Conclusions

The only way to avoid catastrophe is to plan for it in advance. Governments have the ultimate responsibility of enforcing regulations that prevent loss of life. One of the biggest problems that governments encounter is the problem of a forgetful public. Earthquakes are regular and predictable but the time interval of a big quake is normally above that of the average life expectancy. The majority of the public grow up with no memory of the last quake, it is simply ancient history. They are so wrapped up with the day to day problems of life that planning for an earthquake that may not happen for years is simply put off. In the USA houses can be retrofitted by companies, however this is not the option for many in the eastern countries were the difference between rich and poor can be the difference between brick and mud. That is not to say that the rich/poor divide doesn't exist in the USA but simply that the money invested in building standards may be distributed across a wider spectrum of properties.

The biggest problem though is often the governments themselves who are either not prepared to deal with the problems or are too easy on builders. Most countries do have building standards these days however, this doesn't mean that the builders are forced to adhere to them. If standards are not enforced properly them will be broken because it is cheaper and quicker to build substandard buildings. To prove that the problem is not confined to eastern countries below is an image of a new building in the USA which was built to such low standards that it completely collapsed in on itself.

Clearly the image shows a multi-storey car park which has such low standard vertical supports they have simply bent under the strain. Governments must tackle the problems of building standards if they are to avoid the effects of earthquakes in the future. The death tolls can be lowered but the standards must be enforced and maintained!

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By Paul Wittle