Tajikistan, Mudbrick Homes and Earthquake Insurance

jill's picture

Thousands of people in the Vanch region of Tajikistan are homeless in the wake of Saturday’s magnitude 5.3 earthquake. The quake caused massive damage, even though its size is considered “moderate.” Major damage and/or outright collapse of roughly 1,050 mudbrick homes in the wake of the quake have left 20,000 people without shelter. Two schools and a clinic were also destroyed, and electricity supplies and communications were cut off by the quake. The quake came as the Central Asian nation is approaching its coldest time of the year, with temperatures going down to -20 degrees Celsius.

Mudbrick Structures

Mudkbrick structures have been around for millennia – especially in Asia and the Near East, where the earliest evidence of the use of mudbrick dates to 7,000 BCE. A similar structure type to mudbrick is adobe, widely used for hundreds to thousands of years in North Africa, Spain, and the Americas. While one advantage of mudbrick or adobe is that it is relatively cool in the summer and warm in the winter, both are also highly susceptible to seismic damage.

Unfortunately, mudbrick and adobe structures are most commonly found in developing countries, so the most impoverished people are at greatest risk. With worldwide population growth on the rise in seismically active regions, developing countries would do well to follow the example of the Turkish government, which established its Turkish Catastrophe Insurance Pool (TCIP) in 2000. Earthquake insurance is compulsory in Turkey for all residential buildings that fall within municipal boundaries. Since the establishment of the program, TCIP has provided coverage to more than 2 million households, which makes it the largest insurance program in the country.

TCIP insurance is mandatory, and provides compensation to homeowners without reverting to the government budget. Until sufficient financial resources are accumulated by TCIP, a significant portion of the risk is ceded to international reinsurance markets. To enforce compliance, building and home owners who choose not to carry the required earthquake insurance are not eligible to receive compensation from the government in the event of an earthquake. Also, buyers and sellers must present their insurance policy documents to realty registration offices. The TCIP expects policy sales to continue to increase as the measures are enforced.

Resources

Photo credit: Andrew Huckbody (Huckbody Environmental Ltd, http://www.huckbody.co.uk) took the photo above of a mudbrick structure while evaluating the environmental and social effects of construction of what will be the largest hydropower/dam in the world in Tajikistan.

Comments

DavidAlexander's picture

This is good idea to construct mudbrick homes in earth quake affected countries. I have read about this TCIP insurance in bestessays au which is really helpful for the people who lost their property in earthquake and get compensation from the government.

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 This is a good site forecasting on earthquakes and hazards. we can react quick on seeing these forecasting. we can also help to the victims. Its a great website.

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DavidAlexander's picture

I think that every one should get their homes and own places insurance by the government's mark. As an aussie writer, I promote this topic with the people and would like to aware them. I am glad that you people are sharing such an informative topic.

lionel's picture

Insurance schemes are necessary since we are not sure about the natural hazards like earth quakes. It is important to have a security for the same unless people will have no way to go after losing all their savings including the shelter.  the triple play reviews

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