A Review of South-East Asian Countries' Earthquake Hazard Risk, Vulnerability & Capacity Analysis

Abstract

South East Asia, hosting 40% of the world's impoverished, grapples with multifaceted challenges ranging from poverty to urbanization. This research seeks to understand the region's risk to earthquake hazards, identifying areas demanding immediate intervention. Notably, earthquake repercussions often span multiple countries, necessitating coordinated regional responses. The Indonesian and Philippine archipelagos manifest high seismic hazards, contrasted by the moderate risks in the Malaysian peninsula. The study employed the "Index for Risk Management - INFORM" technique to assess vulnerability based on socio-economic and other relevant elements. The results indicated varied consequences among countries, with Myanmar identified as one of the most vulnerable, followed by Nepal and Bangladesh. Meanwhile, the Maldives emerges as the least at risk. Myanmar's human indices display significant vulnerability, with DPR Korea and Bhutan also requiring attention. Countries like Myanmar and Nepal exhibit reduced coping capacities, heightening their risk. In contrast, nations like the Maldives and Thailand benefit from robust disaster-mitigating infrastructures. Alarmingly, Nepal, India, and Indonesia are falling under the vicinity of seismic hotspots. The study encourages policy reform, strengthened emergency preparedness, and modified land-use planning that incorporates seismic risk to strengthen regional resilience.