A global review of disaster reduction initiatives - Welcome to the ...

Selected application of disaster reduction measures55.3. Protection of critical facilities“The reality thatsomewhere between75 and 90 percentof all earthquakefatalities resultfrom building failures,highlights theimportance ofimplementing mitigationmeasuresspecifically associatedwith buildingdesign and construction.”Professor IanDavisAll societies need to be highly selective in the identification and protection of theirkey resources and service facilities. These lifeline elements need enhanced protectionfrom hazard impact so they can remain functional at the time of crisis or followinga major disaster. Typical critical facilities and infrastructure include:• Key infrastructure and utilities, such as communications, water, electricity and fuelsupplies.• Primary transportation links, such as main roads, rail links, harbours and airports.• Public administration facilities, government offices, police, fire and emergencyservice facilities.• Medical facilities performing critical public health and life saving functions.• Schools and buildings with social value, important for public assembly or localidentity.• Key economic assets related to finance, commerce and manufacturing.• Cultural monuments, museums and historic structures.The discussion and examples shown in this section will focus on:• The role of engineering and technical abilities in protecting critical facilities• Protection of urban infrastructure• Structural means, disaster-resistant construction• Codes, policies and procedures• Government examples, public demonstration of best practices• Development of appropriate methodologiesThe role of engineering and technical abilitiesin protecting critical facilitiesBuildings, critical facilities and infrastructureare necessary for the effective functioning andwell being of any society. It is therefore necessaryto consider what has to be done to promotethe development and application of appropriatestandards of design and construction withinwhat is often called the built environment.In technical terms, the expertise and methodologiesare available within the scientific andtechnical communities to generate appropriatestandards of design and construction for damageresistant structures and critical facilities.The fact that they are spread across countriesand individual fields of experience limits theiruse.In many developing countries, people with theright training, skills and motivation are in shortsupply. At the same time, professional structuresmay be weak so that nationally recognisedstandards of professional qualification and conductare lacking.Many countries have adopted building codesrequiring disaster-resistant design and construction.Their provisions and adequacy vary,but where they are rigorously applied theresultant buildings are more disaster-resistantthan they might otherwise be. The problem isnot so much that codes are inadequate but thatthey are not enforced effectively. Equallyimportant but much more difficult and expensiveto do, there is a need in particularly threatenedareas or badly exposed critical facilities tostrengthen, or retrofit, older buildings wherepractical.The pressures of growing population andpoverty, finance, corruption, inadequate skillsand weak administration often combine to producewoefully inadequate standards of buildingcontrol. There are other problematic areas,as well, in translating current knowledge intopractice. Buildings erected by incoming ormigrant segments of the population are usuallyconstructed without specific permission andare not regulated by any building control procedures.Public authorities are hard pressedenough to provide basic water and drainage231