Insider Monkey

20 Countries Hit Most by Earthquakes

Zarah Hamid
9 min read

In This Article:

In this article, we will be studying the aftereffects of earthquakes while navigating through major construction companies supporting resilient buildings, and the 20 countries hit most by earthquakes. If you wish to skip our detailed analysis, you can move directly to the 5 Countries Hit Most by Earthquakes.

Earthquakes: An Unforeseen Natural Calamity

As reported by NASA, an earthquake is a tremble caused by a movement of the earth’s outer layer, causing vibrations known as seismic waves in scientific terms. These waves end up causing destruction in both short and long term. Short term effects include injuries and fatalities, destruction of transport and communication networks, or fires from gas pipe explosions. Although the short term consequences seem serious, the long term impacts are even more detrimental. Many landmarks might be lost and a huge cost will have to be incurred to rebuild the infrastructure lost to an earthquake. Aftershocks from a prior earthquake can make the situation worse in the earthquake-hit region.

The Economic Impact

Earthquakes can inflict damages to the economy other than resulting in a loss of human lives. However, this economic impact is likely to vary, depending upon certain factors such as the existing economic state and the ability of a country to recover from the economic loss. Thus, the impact across countries is diverse, with poorer countries that have fewer resources being more subject to tougher post-earthquake conditions.

In 2023, The Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) reported that the GDP is 1% point lower on average for economies that are hit by earthquakes than those which are not. The cost of rebuilding housing, infrastructure, and productive capacity has been estimated to be between $25 billion and $50 billion. Further analysis of the massive earthquake that hit Turkey in February 2023 indicated that the southeast of Turkey faced widespread damage across roads, airports, and electricity infrastructure. The earthquake consequences also included a fire at Turkey’s largest port, Iskenderun port. However, since the earthquake happened at the beginning of the year, the effects on the GDP are more likely to be offset by the reconstruction impact throughout the year.

Companies Active in Developing Resilient Infrastructure

In September 2022, The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reported seismic provisions for new buildings and the construction industry. The agency reports that the number of earthquake resilient buildings in an earthquake-hit area also affects the impact of the earthquake in terms of the damage caused. Buildings in high earthquake-risk areas should include several features in their structural design such as stable foundations, adequate stiffness and strength, ductility and toughness as well as adequate separation from neighboring buildings. The structure should also be regular, with its mass, strength, and stiffness distributed such that it will move in a uniform motion when subject to ground shaking. This helps avoid concentrated damage in some building parts thereby decreasing the potential for building collapse.

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