Worldwide, a stark, sobering disproportion in disaster impacts exists in low-income versus high-income communities. Over 90% of disaster fatalities occur in developing countries (UNDP, 2014) and natural disasters are a major driver of extreme poverty for millions around the world (Hallgate et al., 2017).

By designing buildings, bridges, dams and other infrastructure, structural engineers play a major role in protecting lives and ensuring safety for communities during disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, landslides, as well as climate impacts.

Veronica is a structural engineer by background and President at GeoHazards International (GHI), a global non-profit focused on saving lives by empowering at-risk communities to build resilience ahead of disasters and climate impacts. GHI focuses on developing locally-appropriate mitigation and preparedness measures informed by the latest science, engineering, policy, and social science. These include risk-informed planning and growth, disaster-resistant design and construction, planning of post-event functionality of critical infrastructure like hospitals, and science-informed preparedness. Programs are designed to be a catalyst for lasting impact by building local capacity, creating local ownership, and empowering communities. The vision is a future where communities can thrive despite natural hazards.

This talk will include specific examples of a school earthquake safety program in Nepal and will describe on-the-ground challenges, strategies for addressing them, and key takeaways.