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América Bendito has spent the past two years working with UNESCO on the Built Environment in Latin America and the Caribbean (BERLAC) project (2020–2023). This project sought to develop risk-informed policies and engineering techniques in six countries:  Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico and Peru. These countries were selected for their particularly high exposure to earthquakes: of the 92 major earthquakes to hit the region since 2000, 37 have occurred in Central America and 12 in the Caribbean. The project also used artificial intelligence and other techniques to assess the structural soundness of existing buildings, including schools, with a view to retrofitting them, if necessary. 

By coincidence, I was born in Venezuela twelve months to the day before one of the most devastating earthquakes in the country's history, which struck Caracas in 1967. I've always seen this as a sign of my destiny. 

Disasters have the potential to set back a nation's development for years and even decades. They can disrupt institutional investment programmes, exacerbate poverty, limit access to healthcare or education and shift developmental priorities for decades. 

However, disasters are not just immediate events. My personal experiences have taught me that the extent of damage often hinges on whether there is a culture of prevention within the affected society. 

During my tenure as a university professor in Venezuela, I had the opportunity not just to teach but also to engage actively with communities. We worked together to implement preventive measures to mitigate the impact of flooding, such as constructing barriers and hedgerows and earthquakes by retrofitting houses. This significantly reduced flooding and protected the village in which we were working in the Mérida province. 

To draw on another personal experience, I recall a time when I was living in an apartment building when a moderate earthquake struck. My initial reaction, after the immediate ‘drop, cover, hold on’ reflex, was to hope that the building would prove to be structurally sound. As the tremors slowly subsided, I ran outside to wait for possible aftershocks. My fears, thankfully, did not materialize. 

In the aftermath, the building sustained only non-structural damage. It had withstood the quake because it adhered to the country’s building codes.  

Occasions like this underscore the importance of having updated building codes that incorporate lessons learned from past disasters. These building codes should be complemented by strict compliance monitoring, smart land-use planning and education and awareness-raising about earthquake and climate-related risks. 

Had the building not followed these updated codes, I may not have survived. This experience has only strengthened my conviction about the importance of preparedness and prevention in mitigating the impact of disasters. 

This project aligns perfectly with my professional and personal objectives, as it combines my passion and experience in risk reduction. 

In the tale for children of the Three Little Pigs, I identify strongly with the third little pig. In this tale, the first two little pigs build houses made of straw and sticks, whereas the third little pig diligently builds his house from bricks, prioritizing durability and resilience over convenience. When the Big Bad Wolf comes along, he manages to blow down the houses made of straw and sticks but the house made of bricks remains standing.   

Like the third little pig in the story, I am committed to building a solid framework of prevention and resilience, as I know that proactive action today can prevent problems tomorrow.

Mitigating the impacts of earthquakes is a challenging task that requires a comprehensive understanding of both the hazards and the underlying factors that create vulnerability.

Applying this scientific knowledge to create policies is the next essential step. It's akin to baking a cake using a well-detailed recipe. Just as every ingredient and step in the recipe contributes to a successful cake, each policy tool plays a crucial role in building safety against earthquakes. These policy tools include building codes, land-use regulations, control systems, maintenance planning, professional licensing frameworks, retrofitting strategies, financial incentives.

Just as a baker considers the local taste preferences and available ingredients, policymakers must consider the local context for these policies to be effective. A well-implemented policy promotes public safety, mitigates environmental impacts, ensures structural resilience, maintains construction quality, and guides responsible urban development.

By enforcing these regulations, governments can create built environments that are safe, healthy, sustainable, and resilient for current and future generations. In a way, this is similar to baking a well-crafted cake - both require careful preparation, precise execution, and thoughtful consideration of the local context to achieve the desired outcome.

Our analysis of building regulations in these countries brought to light several critical issues. One was the apparent dearth of professionals and the low technical capacity of the professionals who use building codes to design their constructions. This issue is akin to a hospital lacking enough qualified doctors. Just as a hospital cannot function effectively without skilled medical professionals, building regulation systems will also falter if there are not enough competent professionals to design, implement and oversee the building codes. 

Another significant problem was the dearth of staff in the institutions that validate and oversee the implementation of these building codes. This situation can be compared to a school with too few teachers. Like a school in which students don't get enough attention and guidance for lack of teachers, these institutions struggle to validate and oversee the implementation of building codes for lack of staff. 

A third issue that emerged during our analysis was the number of buildings needing retrofitting. Surprisingly, some countries do not even have regulations for this crucial aspect of the built environment. Seismic retrofitting is often a low priority. This is like neglecting to maintain and service a car regularly. Just as ignoring regular maintenance can lead to a breakdown later, ignoring seismic retrofitting can result in disaster when an earthquake occurs. 

Our policy review resulted in several recommendations focusing on each of the parties involved in the construction process that, if effectively implemented, could significantly benefit the local population of the six countries in question. For example, we recommended using a QR code to increase the accountability of construction participants in adhering to the building codes. Another is for external entities such as financial institutions or service providers to request building permits from owners before delivering their services. 

Securing funding for prevention has proved to be a major challenge. The crux of the issue lies in the intangible nature of preventive measures. Their effectiveness will only be proven once an earthquake strikes but that may not happen for years, making it difficult to justify the need for such measures to funders. 

Further complicating the situation is the lack of metrics to gauge the potential outcome, were these preventive measures not to be taken today. This lack of modelling makes it harder to assess the real impact of our work in the absence of an earthquake. 

We faced unique challenges in each of the six countries. These included political instability, cultural and linguistic differences and distinct timelines for each partner. Yet, these challenges also presented us with valuable opportunities. 

Working hand in hand with UNESCO’s field offices, engaging with a multitude of partners and interacting with local populations in these countries reinforced my belief in the power of teamwork and collaboration. The spirit of teamwork that pervaded this project was pivotal in surmounting these challenging circumstances. 

For instance, in the Dominican Republic, we often had to drive along poorly accessible roads. This difficulty was compounded by the length and intensity of the assessment process. However, the commitment shown by students and professors from the local university and schools made our task so much easier. 

Another prime example of collaboration is that we witnessed between Japanese and Cuban engineers. Together, they proposed retrofitting solutions that will significantly enhance the safety of the Girón building type that you see everywhere in Cuba. This prefabricated building is commonly used for schools, government buildings and hospitals.  

One challenge we faced was the scarcity of data, particularly when it came to assessing the safety of schools and access routes like roads and bridges. It was heartening to see our local partners rise to the occasion, volunteering to devise innovative solutions to bridge these data gaps. They even offered to use drones to survey all the bridges for which we lacked data, thereby ensuring our algorithm's efficiency. 

In the Dominican Republic, we used drones to collect data and in Haiti 3D printers to print miniature bricks to demonstrate seismic reinforcement techniques to civil engineering students. It was so gratifying to witness how quickly these young men and women embraced these technologies. 

During our final workshop in the Dominican Republic last December, we received confirmation of the six countries’ willingness to move the BERLAC initiative into its second phase.  

Funding permitting, we plan to expand BERLAC's scope in these six countries, and hopefully beyond, and refine our approach based on the feedback we received from the conference in December.  

Our plans include assessing schools and hospitals across entire countries, collaborating on retrofitting strategies for various building types, and conducting nationwide workshops to educate local construction workers about seismic safety. I am thrilled about the potential impact this extension of the project will have on the local population.