Indeed, human factors play a vital role in the impacts of earthquakes, as illustrated in the lack of preparation the people of Pakistan had for the earthquake in October 2008; there was no local disaster planning in place so the effects felt were worsened as the country’s people panicked and went into meltdown. The influence of human factors is primarily effected by the wealth of the country - whether it is an LEDC or MEDC. Building design, communications quality and equipment available all contribute to the impact the country experiences. Furthermore, preparation and planning and population density also play a vital role.
A significant human factor is the way in which the buildings are designed. If they’re designed to be earthquake resistant they could save lives and reduce the amount of reconstruction that has to be done afterwards. Buildings in Japan are designed to cope with quakes as the country is located along the Pacific “ring of fire”, on the edges of several continental and oceanic tectonic plates. Japan’s high level development and wealth mean that buildings with a framed internally braced structure and friction dampers are now able to be part of the building requirements for newly built buildings. Two story infrastructure is also becoming more common. This is thought to have saved thousands of lives in the more recent earthquakes. In Pakistan on the other hand, many houses are structurally poor because people can’t afford better. Even in government buildings in Muzaffarabad were structurally unsound and so damaged. This led to more deaths from collapsing buildings as well as the rescue efforts being hampered due to blocked roads making people trapped for longer.
Another important human factor is the management/readiness of that nation towards the given earthquake. If the country has well-practiced evacuation procedures and warning systems in place people are less likely to be in danger when the earthquake strikes. Also, the country may have...