The Myanmar Earthquake Committee has announced that it will lead a public safety project to make public buildings in Yangon earthquake resistant. The project will use earthquake-resistant construction materials to bolster hospitals, schools, and government office buildings.
The plan for the upgrades was hatched in 2014, and since then, the committee has been collecting data in five townships where the project will begin. After the initial phases are completed, the project will expand further throughout the city and may be extended to private housing.
The upgrades will be carried out in partnership with the Myanmar Engineering Society and funded by UN-Habitat, the United Nations Development Programme, the Asian Development Bank, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
“High-magnitude earthquakes occur every four, five, or 10 years in the country. Fortunately, they tend to happen in towns far away from densely populated areas. This gives us a chance to protect ourselves,” Myanmar Earthquake Committee vice-chairperson Dr. Myo Thant told The Global New Light of Myanmar. “Cities sitting on the Sagaing Fault may be prone to earthquakes any time. This is why we need to prepare for next earthquake.”
Myanmar was hit with several earthquakes measuring above 6.0 on the Richter scale in the last few years. A 6.9-magnitude quake hit eastern Shan State in 2011, killing more than 150 people. The following year, a 6.8-magnitude quake struck near Shwebo, killing at least 26 people.
The Myanmar Earthquake Committee is drafting a series of seismic hazard maps that will highlight Myanmar’s high-risk areas. Two maps have been completed, and another two will be completed by the end of 2017. The maps will show the recurrence periods for earthquakes around Myanmar over 225 years, 475 years, 975 years, and 2,475 years.
Myanmar’s Department of Meteorology and Hydrology is also cooperating with international organizations to compile data on Myanmar’s geological history and is also planning to install more seismometers throughout the country.
