IPRED Action Plan on Reducing Earthquake Disaster

The IPRED Action Plan commits to link earthquake disaster risk reduction to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations.

The International Platform for Reducing Earthquake Disaster Action Plan addresses the fundamental aspects of preparedness, risk reduction and cooperation, in order to create a safer built environment for societies, thus strengthening peace and sustainable development worldwide.

The Plan calls for a holistic approach to its implementation. It includes four areas: seismology, seismic engineering, innovative technologies and knowledge sharing. The Plan of Action acknowledges the importance of improving the safety of buildings and housing as a basic and vital priority for the world’s disaster risk reduction efforts and supports sixteen actions connected to its four areas, acting as a catalyst for multi-stakeholder cooperation at the international level.

Action area 1: Seismology

Understanding the seismic waves that move through and around the Earth is essential to identify areas where building is dangerous, and how to construct structures that can withstand these waves. IPRED experts study natural as well as man-made earth vibrations, using knowledge from geology, geophysics, geography, and soil dynamics to develop seismology and earthquake engineering knowledge.

Ground motion observation and data sharing

Lead member – Japan

Seismic hazard and risk-based land use control

Lead member – Romania

Studies on seismic hazard assessment

Lead member – Kazakhstan

Seismic microzonation techniques for cities on alluvial valleys and basins

Lead member – Romania

Action area 2: Seismic engineering

In earthquake-prone countries, constructing a building without considering its seismic safety is like exposing a body without clothes to the elements. It makes the building vulnerable to the forces it will be subject to. IPRED combines expert interdisciplinary engineering knowledge to design and analyze structures with earthquakes in mind, making these structures resilient to seismic waves and strengthening the built environment.

Guidelines and training on seismic evaluation for building retrofitting

Lead member – El Salvador

Techniques for earthquake investigation and vulnerability assessment

Lead member – Mexico

Construction management

Lead member – Indonesia

Technical assistance for school safety assessment

Lead member – El Salvador

Establishment of a system for post-earthquake field investigations

Lead member – UNESCO

Sharing engineering data on structural testing and soil properties

Lead member – Japan

Action area 3: Innovative technology

The diversity of building typologies and construction eras around the world makes widespread modernization efforts and the choice of suitable retrofitting and building strategies challenging. IPRED aims to address this challenge by developing innovative technologies that use tools and knowledge from different countries, each with their own experiences and practices, to help earthquake-prone countries strengthen their earthquake disaster reduction efforts.

Structural health monitoring against earthquake and building ageing

Lead member – Peru

Innovative technologies for seismic safety in buildings

Lead member – Chile

Action area 4: Knowledge dissemination

IPRED supports the development and transmission of seismology and earthquake engineering knowledge and provides methodologies for governments and local communities to lead their own efforts in mitigating earthquake disasters to build a culture of safety for societies worldwide.