Remember. Protect. Build disaster resilience.
Observed every year on 29 April
Observed every year on 29 April
International day in memory of the victims of earthquakes
Established by the UN General Assembly in 2025, the International Day in Memory of the Victims of Earthquakes is observed every April 29.
Earthquakes are among the deadliest natural hazards. Often striking with little warning, they have claimed millions of lives, devastated infrastructure, displaced communities, and left profound and enduring social, economic, and psychological impacts across generations.
The International day is an opportunity for remembrance and renewed commitment to protecting lives and livelihoods from earthquake disasters. The Day echoes the priorities of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, which underscores the importance of understanding disaster risk, developing disaster risk reduction plans, investing in resilience, and enhancing preparedness to “build back better” after disasters.
Calls to Action
The International Day in Memory of the Victims of Earthquakes is both a moment of remembrance and a catalyst for practical, forward‑looking action on earthquake risk reduction and resilience. It honours those lost and affected, while mobilizing concrete measures to reduce disaster risk, prevent future loss of life, and protect development gains.
In commemorating this Day, countries and partners are called to:
- Reflect: honour those who lost their lives and stand in solidarity with survivors, including through psychosocial support and memorials
- Share and scale what works: exchange good practices and tested actions that reduce earthquake risk: policies, codes, retrofitting approaches, financing models, community engagement, and school- and workplace-based preparedness, so countries can adapt and implement them on the ground.
- Communicate earthquake risk: use the Day to raise awareness of earthquake risk, build trust in institutions, and support informed preparedness and decision-making across society.
- Ready systems: address underlying risk drivers through risk-informed development planning; strengthen preparedness, enforce and improve building codes, and plan for resilient recovery before disasters occur; and prioritize resilient infrastructure and retrofitting of critical facilities including schools, hospitals and lifelines.
- Resource resilience: mobilize finance and partnerships for risk-informed investments, prioritizing support to high-risk and vulnerable countries and local implementers.
Key Messages
- Honouring victims requires sustained support for survivors and affected communities, including long‑term recovery and psychosocial well-being.
- Earthquakes cannot be prevented, but their impacts can be significantly reduced through proactive, inclusive disaster risk reduction.
On understanding risk:
- Understanding earthquake risk is foundational for guiding prioritized actions to reduce disaster impacts, including enhanced understanding of particularly at-risk groups and underlying risk drivers such as poverty.
- Improve collection of loss and damage data, and conduct risk assessments with disaggregated data for at-risk groups; undertake seismic risk mapping, and stress-testing of infrastructure systems.
- Ensure a risk-informed approach to new infrastructure development: apply hazard- and risk-appropriate design standards, site selection, and procurement requirements; integrate lifecycle resilience, maintenance, and retrofit pathways for existing assets.
- Communicate risk information in accessible formats tailored to all at-risk communities in the manner that best suits their needs.
On planning:
- Earthquakes do not kill people; collapsing structures do. Strengthening and enforcing risk-appropriate building codes and land-use planning, and addressing underlying risk drivers such as poverty and urbanization, is key to reducing vulnerability and strengthening resilience.
- Integrating earthquake risks into development plans and investment decisions can ensure that development is risk-informed.
On finance:
- The World Bank estimates that building resilience into infrastructure systems in developing countries adds only 3% to the overall investment costs, but generates a net benefit of $4 for each $1 invested through reduced economic impacts and fewer disruptions.
On preparedness and recovery:
- Promote earthquake safety education and regular drills (e.g. Drop, Cover and Hold), inclusive of all community members.
- Countries should enhance their readiness for a resilient recovery before a disaster occurs. This can help make recovery more inclusive and help communities living in poverty to rebuild their lives and livelihoods faster.
- Every earthquake disaster can be turned into an opportunity to “build back better”, which in turn reduces the impact from future disasters.
Why risk communication matters:
- Earthquake risk presents distinct communication challenges.
- Long gaps between major earthquakes can create a false sense of safety, while the benefits of prevention remain largely invisible when disasters are avoided.
- Technical risk information is often poorly understood, and uncertainty can undermine trust and preparedness.
- The International Day is an opportunity to address these challenges by:
- reinforcing that absence of recent earthquakes does not mean absence of risk
- linking everyday development choices to future disaster impacts
- promoting simple, actionable preparedness behaviours
- strengthening trust between institutions and communities through transparent communication
- Effective risk communication is therefore not only a public awareness exercise, but a core component of earthquake risk governance.
Understanding earthquake risk
The hazard (the earth)
Earthquakes are the sudden release of energy from the Earth's crust, generating seismic waves that shake the ground. Large earthquakes increase the risk of damages and may lead to secondary hazards such as landslides or tsunamis.
The exposure (the proximity to risk or the location)
Living and building in high-seismic zones and shaky soils increases risk to earthquakes and exposes millions to danger. Today, over half the world’s population lives in earthquake-prone regions.
The vulnerability (The fragility or how we build)
This is a factor where a lot can be done to reduce risks. Vulnerability is the difference between a building that crumbles and a building that rumbles.
An earthquake only becomes a "disaster" when these three collide:
- The seismic hazard: The physical shaking (how strong is it? how deep is it?).
- The exposure: How many people and buildings are affected?
- The vulnerability: How resilient is the infrastructure and housing stock? Are there building codes? Are they enforced? Have older buildings been retrofitted? Are people prepared and aware of the risk? Do communities have resources to recover quickly and effectively?
Why earthquake resilience matters now (facts and figures)
Earthquakes are among the deadliest natural hazards. Often striking with little warning, they have claimed millions of lives, devastated infrastructure, displaced communities, and left profound and enduring social, economic, and psychological impacts across generations.
Since 1900, there have been 12 earthquakes on record that each killed 50,000 or more people, five of them since 2000. (GAR 2025)
25.6% of Global Losses: Earthquakes now account for over a quarter of all global economic disaster losses. (GAR 2025)
About 90% of all the planet’s earthquakes occur along the rim of the Pacific Ocean, called the “Ring of Fire”. (USGS)
The largest recorded earthquake in the world was a magnitude 9.5 (Mw) in Chile on May 22, 1960.(USGS)
It is estimated that there are 500,000 detectable earthquakes in the world each year. 100,000 of those can be felt, and 100 of them cause damage. (USGS)
Updates
Resources
A catalogue of evidence-based practices to reduce disaster risk
The stories you will find herein encompass a wide range of practical DRR measures, including early warning systems, community-based initiatives, green and grey infrastructure improvements, policy implementations, and innovative technologies that have been applied and proven effective in real-world scenarios.
Can animals actually predict when an earthquake is coming?
The Answer: There is no scientific evidence that animals can predict earthquakes. However, they are much better than humans at sensing the P-wave (the fast-moving "warning" wave). To us, it might feel like a tiny tremor or nothing at all, but to a sensitive animal, it’s a signal to move. By the time we feel the stronger S-waves, the animals have already reacted! (USGS)
Can the Earth actually open up and swallow people like in the movies?
The Answer: This is a myth! During an earthquake, the ground moves past itself or over itself. While the shaking can cause shallow cracks, fissures, or landslides, the Earth does not pull apart to create a deep void. You are much more at risk from a falling bookshelf than a "crack in the Earth." (USGS)
Should I really stand in a doorway during an earthquake?
The Answer: No! The safest move is Drop, Cover, and Hold On. Get under a sturdy table or desk to protect yourself from falling debris, which is the leading cause of earthquake injuries.