First International Day in Memory of the Victims of Earthquakes: Earthquakes don’t kill people; poorly built structures do

The first International Day in Memory of the Victims of Earthquakes offers an opportunity to honour the lives lost to earthquakes and renew commitment to reducing seismic risk. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2025 and observed annually on 29 April, the Day draws attention to the devastating consequences of earthquakes and to the urgent need for risk-informed development, resilient infrastructure, and stronger enforcement of building standards.

Across the Americas and the Caribbean, earthquakes have caused profound human, social, economic, and infrastructural losses, with impacts that continue across generations. They have also triggered cascading hazards, including tsunamis, landslides, and avalanches, further compounding risk and setting back development. While seismic activity is widespread across the region, the highest death tolls have been concentrated in a limited number of catastrophic events — underscoring a critical reality: earthquakes do not kill people; poorly built structures do.

This webinar will bring together experts and practitioners to reflect on major earthquake events in the region over the past four decades, examine the drivers of earthquake disaster risk, and explore how building codes, resilient construction, land-use planning, and risk communication can help protect lives and livelihoods.

📌 What to expect?

• Reflections on major earthquakes in the Americas and the Caribbean and their long-term impacts 
• Discussion on the drivers of seismic risk, including vulnerable infrastructure, poverty, inequality, and urbanization in hazard-prone areas 
• Expert insights on building codes, earthquake-resistant design, and resilience 
• An interactive discussion and Q&A with specialists and participants 

🕑 9:30 AM (Panama Time | UTC-5)

📍 Where: Zoom 

🗣 Languages: English, Spanish and Portuguese with simultaneous interpretation 

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