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Prevalence of Non-Engineered Buildings and Population at Risk for a Probable Earthquake: A Cross-Sectional Study From an Informal Settlement in Tehran, Iran



Fathollahi S1, 2 ; Saeedi Moghaddam S2, 3 ; Mansournia MA4 ; Rahimi M5 ; Zare M6 ; Ardalan A1, 7 ; Sheidaei A8 ; Peykari N2, 9 ; Naderimagham S2, 3 ; Farzadfar F2, 3
Authors
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Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. Department of Emergencies and Disaster Health, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  2. 2. Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  3. 3. Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  4. 4. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  5. 5. Department of Urban Planning, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran
  6. 6. International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology, Tehran, Iran
  7. 7. Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
  8. 8. Department of Biostatistics, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  9. 9. Development of Research and Technology Center, Deputy of Research and Technology, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran

Source: Iranian Journal of Public Health Published:2020

Abstract

Background: Constructions in informal settlements not respected any applying rules, regulations of urban planning, and building codes with high population density, are the municipality challenge. We aimed to identify level of buildings seismic vulnerability and population at risk in Tehran’s Farahzad informal settlement in 2017. Methods: In this observational cross-sectional study, residential buildings were assessed for seismic performance of constructions. We screened 160 buildings according to Iranian national guidelines by Rapid Seismic Visual Screening Method as a tool to calculate and determine Level of Retrofitting (LR) scores of buildings. We also interviewed residents of the buildings to collect data regarding socio-demographic data, individual disability status, Disaster Assessment of Readiness and Training (DART) regarding household disaster preparedness, and time occupancy in the buildings. Results: Overall, 160 buildings with 209 households and 957 individuals were surveyed. 97.5% of buildings were formed of heavy construction materials. None of them were categorized as engineered buildings and LR of residential buildings ranged from 82.4% to 163.8% with a mean 117.9%. LR scores of more than 100% were capped as 100%. Vulnerable groups of the sample population include under-five years old (8.7%), 60 yr old and above (6.7%), and 9.1% of households had at least one disabled member. 16.7% of households were living in homes with dense area. The DART score for 94.3% of surveyed households was zero. Conclusion: Disaster managers in Tehran municipality must design and implement a comprehensive risk reduction plan in poor urban areas as vulnerable regions for earthquake hazard. © 2020, Iranian Journal of Public Health. All rights reserved.