As part of efforts to mitigate the effects of earthquakes and bolster disaster preparedness, the Philippine government will launch a handbook of hazard maps that identify the country’s at-risk zones.
In particular, the country’s Department of Science and Technology hopes the book will help engineers design earthquake-resilient buildings and aid in urban planning.
“The PEM Atlas aims to promote and enhance the existing National Structural Code of the Philippines (NSCP), a referral code of the National Building Code (NBC),” the country’s volcanology and seismology authority said in a statement.
“This will serve as a basis for designing earthquake resilient structures like residential and commercial buildings, critical facilities such as dams, bridges, and hospitals, and hazardous installations such as nuclear, biological, and chemical facilities,” it added.
The country sits on the Pacific Rim of Fire, a large and volcanically active area around the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes and eruptions often occur.
Just this week, local authorities placed the province of Albay, southeast of Manila, under a state of calamity after major unrest in the Mayon Volcano. Over 30,000 people living near the volcano have been evacuated, and authorities believe an eruption may occur within days.
Related stories:
Asia hit with over US$2 billion in damages from November
How much are insurers spending for world’s costliest natural disasters?
(1).jpg)
