A Socio-Seismology Experiment in Haiti

Éric Calais ,Dominique Boisson,Bernard Mercier De Lépinay,Valérie Clouard,Steeve Symithe,Alain Gilles,Tony Monfret,Julien Balestra,Bétonus Pierre,Sophia Ulyse,Laennec Hurbon,Fabrice Peix,Jean-Marie Théodat,Laure Fallou,Françoise Courboulex,Jérôme Chèze,Claude Prépetit,Jean‐Luc Berenguer ,Jean‐Paul Ampuero ,Éric Bertrand ,A Deschamps ,Rémy Bossu

doi:10.3389/feart.2020.542654

Abstract

Earthquake risk reduction approaches classically apply a top-down model where scientific information is processed to deliver risk mitigation measures and policies understandable by all, while shielding end-users from the initial, possibly complex, information. Alternative community-based models exist but are rarely applied at a large scale and rely on valuable, but non-scientific, observations and experiences of local populations. In spite of risk reduction efforts based on both approaches, changes in behaviour or policies to reduce earthquake risk are slow or even non-existent, in particular in developing countries. Here we report on the initial stage of a project that aims at testing, through a participatory seismology experiment in Haiti—a country struck by a devastating earthquake in January 2010—whether public or community involvement through the production and usage of seismic information can improve earthquake awareness and, perhaps, induce grassroots protection initiatives. This experiment is made possible by the recent launch of very low-cost, plug-and-play, Raspberry Shake seismological stations, the relative ease of access to the internet even in developing countries such as Haiti, and the familiarity of all with social networks as a way to disseminate information. Our early findings indicate that 1) the seismic data collected is of sufficient quality for real-time detection and characterization of the regional seismicity, 2) citizens are in demand of earthquake information and trust scientists, even though they appear to see earthquakes through the double lens of tectonics and magic/religion, 3) the motivation of seismic station hosts has allowed data to flow without interruption for more than a year, including through a major political crisis in the Fall of 2019 and the current COVID19 situation. At this early stage of the project, our observations indicate that citizen-seismology in a development context has potential to engage the public while collecting scientifically-relevant seismological information

Highlights

Over the past 50 years, earthquakes have cost about US$ 800 billions, mostly in developed countries, and 1.3 million human lives, mostly in developing countries (Bilham, 2013; EM-DAT, 2020)
We report on the initial stage of a participatory seismology project in Haiti (Figure 1) that aims at testing whether public involvement can improve earthquake awareness and grassroots protection initiatives
The project described in this paper will attempt to better understand the multiplicity of those factors and the interactions between them, using low-cost seismic stations as a way to engage citizens in a dialog with scientists. As this early stage of the project, this paper aims at describing its motivations and setup, as well as the results of a first a baseline survey on earthquake and risk perception

Summary

Introduction

Over the past 50 years, earthquakes have cost about US$ 800 billions, mostly in developed countries, and 1.3 million human lives, mostly in developing countries (Bilham, 2013; EM-DAT, 2020) Faced with these figures, which show no sign of inflection over time, the classic and rational approach to reduce earthquake risk is “top-down” (e.g., UNISDR, 2015). Community-based, “bottom-up” approaches are more and more common, but are rarely applied at a large scale. They rely on valuable, but nonscientific, observations and experiences of local populations (e.g., Fischer, 2000; Sim et al, 2017).

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion