Earthquake in Turkey and Syria On February 6, at 05:17 Yerevan time, a powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.8 (M 7.8) hit the Gaziantep province of Turkey. About 9 hours later, 100 km north of it, another powerful M 7.5 earthquake hit the Kahramanmarash province, and it was caused by the impact of the first one, but occurred on a different geological fault. These 2 main shocks are accompanied by hundreds of quite powerful aftershocks, which experts say can last for weeks, months, or even years. Given the area's population density and the poor seismic stability of the structures, the final death toll could be closer to 100,000, and with millions left homeless. This is one of the most powerful earthquakes in this region in the last century, if not the most powerful. Earthquake in Armenia “Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others”. Here we need to somehow correct Bismarck: those who learn from their own mistakes are quite smart, and those who repeat mistakes are completely foolish. We have recently passed through the nightmare of the Spitak earthquake, but the deep pain of the aftermath has not gone away, nor have the efforts to deal with the consequences that continue up today. However, we never learned a lesson from these continuous warnings from nature. After the Spitak earthquake, the Soviet government developed a comprehensive plan to avoid further threats as much as possible. The plan even included the "cutting" of high-rise buildings at the level of 5-6 floors... Back in 2010, our website wrote about the highest level of vulnerability to earthquakes in Armenia and especially in Yerevan. In this assessment, 2 circumstances were taken into account, the first is the possibility of a powerful earthquake and the second is the density of the capital's buildings and their low earthquake resistance. Perhaps the most dangerous for Yerevan is the Garni Fault, which quietly gathers energy, and no one can predict when that energy will be unleashed, but it will happen sooner or later. According to scientific research related to this fault, earthquakes hit in 1679 and 1827 reached M 7.0, the same strength as the Spitak earthquake. Let's not forget also the M 7.5 Ararat earthquake in 1840, which literally changed the shape of the mountain, and from the top of Great Ararat, 30–35-meter boulders were thrown to the foot of it... Many people have spoken and written about this issue many times, but there is no serious approach so far, and the steps taken are miserable. So, once again, we would like to call the attention of our government, the national assembly and all other interested and compassionate parties, to seriously and responsibly take actions to withstand the possible upcoming earthquake. What should be done? Of course, we need to improve the technical condition of all buildings and structures. The solution of this issue is a matter of years, decades, but a clear plan must be developed urgently and strictly followed every year, every day and every hour, step by step. The top priority is building hospitals with higher earthquake norms than the existing ones. Today, the dominant part of hospitals operating in the republic were built in Soviet times with old seismic norms.. Ensuring the seismic safety of kindergartens, schools, and all other educational institutions is also a main priority. Some schools and kindergartens have been renovated by state programs, and some have been reconstructed in order to comply with modern seismic norms, but the real "product" cannot be considered reliable. We need completely new and very strong structures. But it is necessary to start with the institutions whose buildings are in a poor and dilapidated condition, and there are still a good many of them. All ministries, committees, local governments, police - all the state governing bodies must operate in a safe, earthquake-resistant buildings in order to carry out their work without interruption. Housing stock is perhaps the most vulnerable and the most difficult part of the problem. Most of the buildings were built in Soviet times. In addition to the fact that the structures of that period were built according to lower seismic norms and were built of poor quality, the "construction" interventions of the residents at the discretion of the authorities of the time made the situation even more complicated. There are multi-storied buildings where residents remove the supporting concrete reinforced columns, or buildings with 1,2 and 3 story roof superstructures. But there are also positive developments in terms of earthquake-resistant housing construction and the boom in new developments, especially in Yerevan. This new housing stock is much more seismically resistant and can be said to be a major step forward in dealing with seismic hazards. But old buildings are still left populated and the government has to think about how to deal with this issue. There are many historic buildings in Armenia and perhaps the only solution would be to implement the maximum possible strengthening works, which is only possible in uninhabited, disused structures. No more waiting, it’s time to act! Today's passive concern of not acting and relying on God is a crime. Tectonic plates have been moving for millions of years and will continue to move furthermore, shaking Earth periodically. The only way to overcome a catastrophe is to be prepared for the disaster, waiting out shocks in our homes and workplaces and be sure of their seismic stability. The terrible disaster in Turkey and Syria just warns us again and again that we must act - there is no time to wait.

After the earthquake in 1988 in the disaster zone some disorderly housing was formed. Over these 30 years, thousands of families left without shelter have received housing thanks to public and private investments. And yet the number of wagons for temporary shelter did not become less. Tatiana Arzumanyan, the Head of the Department of Housing and Utility Infrastructure of the Urban Planning Committee of Armenia, clarified the issue, "In 2008 the final deadline was set for the registration of families left without shelter because of the earthquake. During this period, 7,000 families were enrolled, of which 5,381 are currently recognized as beneficiaries of the housing program with state support. The issues of 4839 families are already solved, and until 2020 the housing problem of the remaining 542 families will be solved, too''. Nevertheless, even after providing housing for so many families, there are still people living in temporary wagons. The number of such wagons is approximately 2000 in Gyumri. '' Some families living in temporary wagons received housing in due time, but for social reasons, sold them and moved again to their old wagons. Another case is large families, when only part of the family moves to the new house, the others continue to live in the so-called ''domiks'' (houses). A lot of such temporary houses were bought or rented by internal migrants, residents who arrived in Gyumri from neighboring cities and villages. In some cases these temporary houses are stone buildings, and families living in such “domiks” are able to use the social guarantees provided by the state. There are also families, who received a living space under the state support program, but did not manage to register their rights within the prescribed period, mostly due to the non-fulfillment of the main condition, the dismantling of temporary housing. Some domiks are used for shoemakers, hairdressers or catering facilities, but not for living'', told Tatiana Arzumanyan about the Odyssey of temporary houses. In order to identify and solve the problems of homeless families, this year, the government made a decision to start documenting the temporary houses. As a result in 2019 proposals will be submitted to Urban planning committee to improve the conditions of families living in these houses. The area of the houses will be cleaned of unnecessary buildings, which will enable them to be included in various investment projects (including construction). '' Solving disaster-zone problem is not only the housing program as planned. As experience shows, the solution of the housing problem does not make citizens socially independent. The family can sold the house or apartment because of the money shortage and again face the old housing problem. Here we need to use a complex approach, implementation of investment initiatives within the framework of human settlement development programs, opening new jobs, urging the economic growth in the regions, creation of opportunities for development'', said Tatiana Arzumanyan.

As the death toll in Nepal continues to rise, impacting roughly eight million people according to the UN, one can't help but wonder how the country will ever achieve its former splendor after this devastating earthquake. Arch Daily pulled together a series of news reports detailing how the earthquake leveled several historic buildings, many of them UNESCO heritage sites, with absolute impunity. The iconic Bhimsen Tower reduced to rubble, Kathmandu Durbar Square, unrecognizable. And the site of the beautiful Boudhanath Stupa, forever changed. Talk of architecture may seem trivial in this context, but Nepalese architecture comprises an integral part of a rich cultural tradition that has evolved over many centuries. And it is culture; ultimately, that unites a population after tragedy. Earthquakes disproportionately affect people in developing countries, where building codes are less rigorous, so the same buildings that we all know and love are ultimately responsible for greater death and destruction than an earthquake of a similar magnitude (7.8) would exactly in a developed country. Kathmandu's iconic Bhimsen Tower, for example, killed at least 200 people. This is not the first time earthquakes have destroyed this particular tower, but it may well be the last. Rebuilding it seems like such a daunting prospect. Kathmandu Durbar Square and Patan Durbar Square are hardly recognizable in the ruins. These royal palace squares are all UNESCO heritage sites. They are considered priceless to all of humanity. And now they are gone. The Boudhanath Stupa, which is considered the holiest Tibetan Buddhist temple outside of Tibet, has also been damaged. While the dome appears to have survived, this site too is largely unrecognizable. Drone footage published by the National Post illustrates the extent of destruction.