Over 95% of the existing homes in the affected Jajarkot district are constructed as stone or brick masonry with mud mortar, a highly vulnerable building type. More than 60,000 homes were damaged or destroyed in the district and homeowners are not yet familiar with strategies to safely reconstruction or repair and strengthen their homes. There is an opportunity to provide technical assistance, build awareness, and educate the affected population utilizing the technical resources and retrofitting techniques developed after the 2015 earthquake to improve resilience outcomes associated with the planned government subsidy program for reconstruction.

Earthquake

Asia Pacific

Nepal

Jajarkot, Nepal

Category 5 Hurricane Otis caught the residents of Guerrero by surprise, killing at least 52 and damaging many homes, raising awareness of the need to support resilient housing capable of withstanding both wind and earthquake forces.

Hurricane

Wind

Latin America and Caribbean

México

Guerrero, Mexico

The magnitude 6.8 earthquake affected over 2.8 million people and damaged 59,000 houses, with 30% of these structures collapsing. Our analysis revealed a distinct pattern in the destruction, where earthen homes sustained more damage compared to their masonry counterparts, highlighting an urgent need for resilient building strategies.

Africa and Middle East

Morocco

Al Haouz Province, Morocco

In response to the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake in southeast Türkiye on February 6, 2023, our team conducted building surveys and survivor interviews, uncovering urgent needs for shelter and strategies to strengthen surviving buildings. We&#8217;re now focused on aiding recovery and enhancing community resilience for the future through Resilience Beacons.

Türkiye

Kahramanmaraş, Turkiye

The earthquake revealed a critical weakness in Indonesia&#8217;s school infrastructure, with Cianjur&#8217;s experience mirroring past events. Responding proactively, Build Change stepped in to repair and retrofit SDN Tamansari School in Cianjur, creating a secure and resilient learning space for 240 children.

Indonesia

Cianjur, Indonesia

The event confirmed that Build Change&#8217;s method of improving homes in the region for flood resilience worked. The houses had undergone retrofitting and vertical expansion beforehand. This allowed homeowners to keep their possessions upstairs, enabling them to swiftly return to their regular routines, while others were still working on cleaning the lower levels from mud.

Flood

Honduras

Sula Valley, Honduras

The disaster&#8217;s impact was vast, affecting over 1 million people and damaging more than 50,000 homes. Remarkably, among the 438 houses supported by our disaster-resilient housing microfinance loan program, not a single one reported structural damage, underscoring the effectiveness of our resilience-building efforts.

Typhoon

Philippines

Cabanatuan, Philippines

In the Khotang earthquake, newly built stone houses with mud mortar (SMM) that incorporated earthquake-resistant features stood strong with minimal or no damage. However, those SMM houses lacking essential reinforcements like horizontal bandages and vertical support suffered severe damage, highlighting the importance of resilient construction practices.

Khotang, Nepal

Our structural assessment in the Bangued area revealed a concerning trend: most residential and commercial buildings lacking ring beams experienced significant out-of-plane wall damage. This led to corner separation and overall instability in the structures, underscoring a critical area for construction improvement and an opportunity to strengthen vulnerable buildings before the next disaster.

Abra, Philippines

The Marshall Wildfire spread quickly, driven largely by airborne flaming debris and intensified by strong winds. Contributing factors included the proximity of buildings and the use of combustible materials like wood frames, composite siding, and asphalt shingles, which accelerated the fire&#8217;s devastation.

Fire

Boulder County, USA

The storm left a trail of destruction, particularly affecting homes built with timber and other light materials, which suffered extensive damage or were destroyed. Notably, timber homes with masonry skirt walls, reconstructed after the 2013 earthquake, couldn&#8217;t withstand the storm&#8217;s fury and were damaged.

Bohol, Philippines

The earthquake resulted in widespread damage across residential buildings, schools, police stations, and healthcare facilities. This damage was largely due to irregular building structures, such as soft stories and vertical irregularities, further worsened by the use of poor-quality materials and deficiencies in design and construction.

Haiti

Tiburon Peninsula, Haiti

Our initial phase of implementing a home strengthening loan product with MFI partner ASHI in the Calabarzon region involved a detailed housing sub-sector study. This study revealed that single-story masonry houses impacted by the storm require significant repairs and strengthening, perfectly aligning with the scope of our loan product.

Calabarzon, Philippines

The hurricanes triggered massive floods, with water levels exceeding three meters, impacting around 4.7 million people. In response, Build Change launched a climate-resilient housing project aimed at developing innovative solutions to ensure people can safely stay in their homes during seasonal weather events.
Image source: Honduran Red Cross

Following Typhoon Rolly (Goni), Build Change performed a market and needs assessment in Tiwi and Tabaco, Albay with MFI partner ASA Philippines to assess levels of damage and vulnerability in houses, understand homeowner preferences and locally available materials and labor, and prepare a pilot program for the home strengthening loan program in the area.

Albay, Philippines

The hurricane affected roughly 75% of the homes in the area, with a noticeable variation in the quality of self-built houses. High construction costs were observed, largely due to competition from the upscale market and challenges like import delays and associated expenses.

Bahamas

Abaco, Bahamas

Build Change and the Philippine Red Cross undertook a post-earthquake reconnaissance survey after back-to-back earthquakes led to significant damage in Itbayat. The impact was most severe on traditional unreinforced limestone masonry houses, which largely collapsed, and also affected key government buildings including schools, the town hall, and the hospital.

Batanes, Philippines

The extensive damage observed in many buildings was largely attributed to substandard construction practices, notably the use of poor-quality materials. This issue was particularly prevalent in masonry buildings, where the use of low-strength blocks and sea sand was a common finding.

Port-de-Paix, Haiti

Build Change carried out an extensive field visit, including four cities, 17 sub-districts, and 24 villages, to assess and understand the impact. The survey identified four primary residential building types, with confined masonry and timber frames with heavy infill suffering the most damage. Common issues included foundational cracks and structural separations, underscoring widespread non-compliance with building standards and a lack of professional oversight in construction.

Sulawesi, Indonesia

Reconnaissance in Cagayan and Benguet was performed. Timber houses and structures were the most affected by the storm, particularly light-framed roofs. Concrete block walls of masonry homes where wooden posts were used in the walls instead of reinforced concrete columns were also notably damaged due to the typhoon.

Cagayan Valley, Philippines

Build Change conducted a field visit in early September 2018 to the impacted areas including Lombok Timur and Lombok Utara. This report summarized the findings and general recommendations based on the observed damage.

Lombok, Indonesia

Floods in 2017 affected Terai districts such as Morang, Sunsari, Saprari, Siraha, and Dhanusa. The effect on houses was more prominent in low areas without proper drainage systems. The houses that had mud mortar foundations were the most affected.

Terrai Region, Nepal

Roughly 45% of houses were destroyed or substantially damaged in this Category 5 hurricane. A common vulnerability was insufficient connections, particularly between timber elements (such as roofs or walls) and concrete elements (like masonry walls and foundations). Many of the homes can be repaired and retrofitted to better withstand future events.

Dominica

The area of Jojutla, Morelos visited was a moderately dense urban setting in which the majority of buildings surveyed were two or more stories tall. Confined masonry was the prevalent structural system. The damage and failures observed were attributed to insufficient wall strength, weak/soft story configuration deficiencies, and poor construction practices, such as inadequate rebar detailing and poor quality concrete.

Puebla-Morelos, Mexico

Roughly 45% of houses were destroyed or substantially damaged. A common vulnerability was insufficient connections, particularly between timber elements (such as roofs or walls) and concrete elements (like masonry walls and foundations). Many of the homes can be repaired and retrofitted to better withstand future events.

Oaxaca, Mexico

In one- and two-story houses, timber-framed roofs and poor quality or deteriorated timber framed walls suffered the most damage due to the hurricanes. Timber framed walls and roofs also detached from the foundation or walls below due to inadequate connections.

Puerto Rico

Following the 2017 Surigao earthquake, Build Change&#8217;s reconnaissance mission found that buildings adhering to the National Structural Code of the Philippines fared well, while poor design and construction caused damage. The report suggests retrofitting damaged houses to meet the code and it advocates for funding, training, policy changes, and resources to promote disaster-resistant construction for low-income families, aiming to enhance resilience and prevent catastrophic losses.

Surigao Del Norte, Mindanao, Philippines

The earthquake resulted in an estimated economic loss of $220 million USD, a state of emergency declared for 14 days, 104 fatalities, hundreds of injuries, and the displacement of approximately 50% of the district&#8217;s population. The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) collaborated with other organizations to compile this report, detailing the technical investigations, surveys, and literature reviews on the earthquake&#8217;s impact on infrastructure and communities, with leadership from EERI members Edwin Lim and Hartanto Wibowo.

Pidie Jaya, Indonesia

The Build Change report on Hurricane Matthew&#8217;s impact in Haiti, surveyed in late October 2016, highlights significant damage to housing and educational structures, with a notable 95% of lightweight roofs and many unreinforced masonry buildings affected. Key findings emphasize the urgent need for improved construction practices and adherence to modern building codes for future resilience. The report underscores the criticality of technical support and proper site selection to mitigate risks in hazardous areas and ensure safer reconstruction efforts.

Jeremie, Les Cayes & Moron, Haiti

A Build Change team conducted a field visit in early May 2016 to several of the towns impacted by the earthquake along the western coast of Ecuador including Manta, Canoa, Crucita, Jama, and Portoviejo. They also shared their observations and lessons learned through two seminars in the area.

Ecuador

Manabi, Ecuador

The earthquake and its aftershock resulted in nearly 8,700 deaths and widespread structural damage. The report includes a detailed assessment of various building types and materials, and structural damage, especially in housing and schools, and discusses the inadequacies of the Nepal Building Code in handling such seismic events. It emphasizes the need for improved construction practices, especially in rural areas, and highlights the challenges in retrofitting damaged structures and considerations for future earthquake-resistant reconstruction.

Gorkha, Nepal

This seismic event, resulting from the region&#8217;s complex tectonic activity, caused significant damage to traditional homes. The earthquake&#8217;s impact emphasized the urgent need to upgrade or replace these structures to meet life-safety standards and comply with the Colombian building code (NSR-10) for earthquake-resistant construction.

Colombia

Los Santos, Colombia

The combined events impacted an estimated 14.4 million people and resulted in over 1.1 million damaged houses, surpassing the destruction caused by the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
Throughout our evaluation, several key lessons about safe construction practices in the Philippines were gleaned. These insights are presented as recommendations in the report, derived from common failure mechanisms observed during the disaster. Emphasizing the use of familiar systems and techniques for cost-effectiveness, these recommendations aim to address prevailing deficiencies in local building practices, highlighting the crucial changes needed to ensure safer construction in future scenarios.

Visayas, Philippines

The earthquake resulted in 222 deaths and damaged over 73,000 houses, affecting 3.22 million people. Following closely, Typhoon Yolanda struck on November 8, 2013, impacting 14.4 million people and damaging over 1.1 million houses, making it one of the most devastating natural disasters in the country&#8217;s history. These events caused widespread displacement, with many people resorting to makeshift or temporary housing.

The Build Change team arrived 10 days after the earthquake struck. Over 16,000 houses were damaged, of which more than 6,000 were severely damaged. Poor construction practices, such as a lack of connection between tie elements, the use of poor quality materials in concrete, and construction of heavy masonry gables led to high damage rates in masonry houses, whereas timber houses were observed to have less damage and much lower incidence of collapse.

Aceh, Indonesia

Build Change conducted a field visit to six schools, focusing on assessing the need for technical assistance and identifying any potential structural deficiencies. The intent was not to perform detailed evaluations of each school during the visit, but instead to get a better understanding of the schools each municipality may need technical assistance with, what their construction styles are, and what the potential deficiencies may be.

Guatemala

San Marcos & Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

Following the earthquake, 131 houses were assessed in Keune, Lampisang, Lamlumpu, Lambateung and Kayee Lheu. Very minimal damages were reported in houses that had followed Build Change&#8217;s guidelines during initial construction, whereas more damage was reported where the guidelines were not followed.

The Haiti earthquake in 2010 caused economic losses of more than $7 billion of which much could have been prevented by people having access to quality housing. Over 293,000 houses were damaged or destroyed. By upgrading current technologies and common construction practices and implementing lowcost improvement solutions, Build Change has worked with homeowners, government officials and construction professionals since the 2010 earthquake.

Port-au-Prince, Haiti

In the aftermath of the earthquake, Build Change significantly contributed to the Housing section of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) Report. This contribution involved analyzing residential damage, offering recommendations for resilient reconstruction, and exploring the social and economic impacts on the community. The aim was to guide the rebuilding of safer homes and enhance earthquake preparedness in Padang.

Padang, Indonesia

The Build Change report, a collaborative effort with the University of California&#8217;s Office of the President under the 10 + 10 Strategic Partnership, offers a comprehensive analysis of post-disaster scenarios. It covers needs assessment and planning, evaluates various housing types and their performance, and extends to broader building performance analysis, including specific studies on the Xiao Yu Dong and Gao Yuan bridges.

China

Sichuan, China

Two earthquakes hit near Sumatra, Indonesia, affecting Bengkulu, Jambi, West Sumatra, and the Mentawai Islands. The quakes caused 25 deaths and 100 injuries, with significant housing damage: 17,695 houses were destroyed, 21,035 severely damaged, and 49,496 mildly damaged. This report, focusing on housing and low-rise structures, is based on on-site visits to the affected provinces and the Mentawai Islands.

Bengkulu, Indonesia

Dr. Hausler conducted an in-depth investigation into the Pisco, Peru earthquake, a devastating 8.0 magnitude event. This investigation focused on confined masonry buildings that had not collapsed, learning factors for improved performance from the buildings which were undamaged or partially damaged. Time was also spent on supporting debris removal and interviewing homeowners about rebuilding.

Peru

Pisco, Peru

Two earthquakes occurred within the same day, resulting in the death of nearly 70 people. The provincial government reported more than 43,000 houses damaged, with more than 12,000 having heavy damage. Dr. Elizabeth Hausler and the Build Change Indonesia staff performed a reconnaissance visit to the affected areas.

The earthquake affected a densely populated area on Mt. Merapi&#8217;s southern slope, with its epicenter 20 km SSE of Yogyakarta. It caused 5,176 deaths and left 600,000 to one million people homeless, with damages estimated at US$3.1 billion, predominantly in housing. The most impacted districts were Bantul in Yogyakarta and Klaten in Central Java, where over 100,000 houses were destroyed. Unreinforced masonry buildings performed poorly. Partially confined masonry buildings with tall, slender walls and weak connections between confining elements also failed. Unconfined masonry gable walls were the first to collapse.

Central Java, Indonesia

Build Change’s team of local technical experts (engineers, architects, and construction supervisors) worked from March 2005 to January 2008 with the tsunami survivors in Banda Aceh to rebuild safe, sustainable houses. Banda Aceh is a main metropolis in Aceh Province. Build Change&#8217;s longest standing program, the Indonesia program, started with this work after the devastating earthquake and tsunami.

Tsunami

The earthquake left about 85% of Bam&#8217;s housing stock in ruins, rendering approximately 75,600 city residents and an influx of migrants from nearby villages, totaling around 155,000 people, homeless. A comprehensive Master Plan for Bam&#8217;s reconstruction was finalized in September 2004, with permanent housing construction commencing in October 2004, projected to take 3-5 years. Meanwhile, 16,200 intermediate shelters were established by late May 2004, either at original dwelling sites or on the city outskirts, alongside over 2,500 permanent shelters built in nearby villages, integrating relief into broader recovery and reconstruction efforts.

Iran

Bam, Iran

The earthquake resulted in at least 13,805 deaths, and 167,000 injuries, and devastated 215,229 houses while damaging 928,369 more. In response, the newly formed Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) adopted primarily an owner-driven approach for rural reconstruction, with 77% of affected rural residents receiving cash assistance for self-rebuilding under government oversight, and 23% partnering with NGOs for a mix of donor-driven and donor-facilitated rebuilding strategies. By July 2003, the rural reconstruction was nearly complete, with $268 million disbursed for rebuilding 133,493 homes.

India

Bhuj, India

The earthquake claimed over 100 lives, destroying nearly 14,000 houses and damaging 10,850 more. In this earthquake and landslide-prone Central Himalayan region, Chamoli&#8217;s less severe devastation compared to Killari attracted limited international and Indian funding. Rebuilding efforts, mainly donor-driven and contractor-executed, included reconstructing at least three villages and erecting demonstration houses, with the government and NGOs providing building materials and technical guidelines, though with minimal oversight.

Chamoli, India

The earthquake resulted in over 8,000 fatalities and left more than 1 million homeless, with 227,000 homes damaged or destroyed in the rural Latur and Osmanabad districts. The subsequent five-year rehabilitation program, primarily donor-driven, involved relocating and rebuilding 52 villages by contractors with limited homeowner input, while another 22 villages were rebuilt on the same or nearby sites, managed by NGOs or homeowners themselves.

Post-Disaster Reconnaissance

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