Disposal of debris following urban earthquakes: Guiding the development of comprehensive pre-event plans

Abstract

An inefficient or poorly planned response can impose additional social, economic and environmental burden on an already impacted community. Debris disposal following a disaster needs to be considered in two timeframes. The immediate concern is for the safety and wellbeing of the affected population, and debris may be required to be removed during rescue operations. However, once the immediate threats to people have passed, or are being managed, it is necessary to remove debris as quickly as possible to allow communities to rebuild. Disaster events can generate large quantities of debris and the management of this debris can present a major challenge. Drawing on the information in this report and other reviews a list of ten key steps for the effective consideration of debris disposal is proposed.