Disaster Risk Reduction in Papua New Guinea

Abstract

At 3:45 am on 26 February 2018, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake occurred in Papua New Guinea with an epicentre 30 kilometres south-west of Tari. Over 140 people are known to have died and roads, airfields, schools and health facilities in three provinces were badly damaged. Gas and oil processing plants were also damaged, large mines put out of action and the national economy threatened. Numerous landslides occurred, some of which dammed rivers and buried villages, roads and gardens.

This In Brief considers whether anything could have been done beforehand to reduce the impact of this event, and whether anything can be done now to reduce the impact of future events.