Historic events continue to help build our resilience
New Zealand has come a long way since a deadly earthquake hit Hawke’s Bay 91 years ago today.
On February 3, 1931, our young country knew very little about the natural hazards beneath them, and even less about how the community could prepare themselves for such a disastrous event.
“The Hawke’s Bay earthquake was a significant event and showed us that building resilience has to be our focus for the future,” says Dr Natalie Balfour, the Earthquake Commission’s Manager Research.
EQC is Aotearoa’s Crown entity responsible for providing insurance to residential property owners and invests in natural hazard research and education.
Its investment in research helps experts better understand the hazards triggered by earthquakes, such as liquefaction, tsunami, and landslides, and what New Zealanders can do to better prepare.
“It’s our vision that resilience to natural hazards becomes embedded in all aspects of decision-making for our homes, towns and cities. We hope this work will reduce the impact of future natural hazards on people and property in Aotearoa,” Natalie explains.
EQC-funded research includes significant projects to better understand our earthquake and tsunami risk, more resilient ways of building, and help inform smarter land use.
“What we’ve been able to accomplish and understand over the years, the expertise we’ve invested in is exciting; and this continues today. This research helps EQC find ways to address our country’s current and future natural hazard risk and identify ways to boost the resilience of Aotearoa.”
You can view all current research funded by the EQC here.
No matter where you live in Aotearoa, we all need to take steps that will help make our homes safer in the event of an earthquake.
Our resources, such as the Quake Safe Your Home guide(external link), will help you better prepare for natural hazards, and to help recover afterwards. For more on how to prepare your home and protect your whānau, go to www.eqc.govt.nz/be-prepared.
