I'm not sure that GDP per person is the best index to use here. Consider instead a country's budget for military spending, which I think for Pakistan is around $7 billion. The rationale for a military is defence of a country's population; it would be no bad thing to consider disaster mitigation a defence issue. How many people in Pakistan have been killed in warfare, compared to the number killed in earthquakes or other disasters? Where are the priorities?
That said, Pakistan is an example of a country that has actually trimmed its military budget in the past to make more funds available for social projects (about six year ago if I remember). But there is scope for more improvement by considering "defence of population" a general issue of defence against disasters as much as hostile neighbours.
As to the cost of retrofitting, it is arguable that in a country like Pakistan a wholesale retrofitting programme is impractical. A selective programme of disaster mitigation is needed that can be fitted into a practical budget and scope. The two critical elements are, firstly, protection of key buildings (hospitals, schools, fire stations etc), and secondly, effective planning. With a limited budget one cannot prevent an earthquake calamity, but one can do a lot to mitigate its effects through being ready. An effective disaster management plan is a godsend. It means that when an earthquake strikes, there exists already something that says who is in charge, what he has to do, and where the resources are coming from to do it. Then there will be no delays in reacting to the earthquake caused by officials trying to make policy on the hoof.
This won't eliminate earthquake casualties, but it will reduce them, and this is the best practical result that one can aim for.
Roger Musson
British Geological Survey
West Mains Road
Edinburgh EH9 2NA
Scotland
tel:+44-(0)131-650-0205
fax:+44-(0)131-667-1877
email: [log in to unmask]
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Natural hazards and disasters
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Jonathan
> Walter
> Sent: 19 October 2005 11:08
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Kashmir quake/EQ safe buildings
>
>
> Dear All
>
> On October 12th, the Boston Globe announced: 'Much is known
> today about ways
> to protect buildings from earthquake damage, but doing so would be an
> unachievable luxury in a nation where the gross domestic
> product was only
> $2,200 per person in 2004'.
>
> Is this true? Or are there low-cost ways of making buildings
> earthquake-safe
> (either from scratch or retrofitting) in mountainous areas
> such as Kashmir
> and right across the Himalayan belt? This will presumably be
> a vital issue
> when it comes to reconstruction - as well as for other
> countries at risk in
> the region.
>
> Best regards
>
> Jonathan Walter
> _____________________________________________________
> Jonathan Walter
> Editor, World Disasters Report
> c/o International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
> South Asia Regional Delegation
> C-1/35 Safdarjang Development Area
> New Delhi-110 016, INDIA
> Tel: +91 11 2685 8671
> Mob: +91 98104 49283
> Email: [log in to unmask]
>
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