The global disaster relief organization "Miyamoto" held its first conference in Beirut at the Sursock Museum titled "Are You Prepared for the Next Big Earthquake? Don't Wait Until Disaster Strikes," in collaboration with the Directorate General of Antiquities and funded by the U.S. Embassy and the American Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP).
The conference, attended by specialized engineers, geologists, representatives from municipalities and universities, engineering unions, and engineers from different countries via the Zoom application, included extensive discussions and guidance on improving home safety against earthquakes, ways to strengthen old and heritage buildings, and enhancing their resilience to withstand earthquakes and associated risks.
Kitt Miyamoto, the founder of the organization who came specifically to Lebanon, spoke about his experience in reinforcing heritage and old buildings and the studies he conducted in this field, presenting engineers with the weaknesses of structures and how to reinforce them to make them more resilient to earthquakes and natural disasters.
For his part, the organization's representative in Lebanon, Karl Abi Nader, confirmed that "Lebanon's location on a series of faults continuously threatens it with earthquakes, making it essential to prepare for this possibility more than ever, especially with modern technologies available to mitigate risks and reduce losses." He noted the "efforts made by the Miyamoto organization thanks to the financial grant provided by the U.S. Embassy to innovate the Miyamoto mobile application that gathers data on buildings, assesses damage from earthquakes, and accesses new training for architects."
He said, "A disaster could occur at any time, and everyone must be prepared because readiness allows for minimizing material and human losses." He clarified, "We are not here to instill fear; however, the recent events in the region, alongside the enormous devastation brought by the Turkey earthquake, have reinforced our belief as an organization of the necessity to work in this direction, and it would be beneficial if the Lebanese state adopted clear and strict standards and a work plan in this regard, as many countries have done."
Abi Nader urged all Lebanese not to hesitate to consult specialized engineers to study residential buildings and work on reinforcing them, adding, "The danger is indeed present, and a devastating earthquake will inevitably occur someday in Lebanon as we are in a seismically active region. Everyone must exercise caution, including the government, organizations, and individuals, to protect the country and its people from any looming disaster."
