How can building hazard-resistant buildings help to reduce the impacts of disaster risks during the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake?

Building hazard-resistant buildings can significantly reduce the impacts of disaster risks, such as those experienced during the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake, in several ways:

1. Structural Integrity: Hazard-resistant buildings are designed to withstand the forces exerted by natural disasters like earthquakes. They are built with stronger materials and incorporate specific design elements to maintain structural integrity during such events. This can prevent building collapse, one of the main causes of injury and death during earthquakes.

2. Safety of Occupants: By preventing collapse, these buildings can protect the people inside them. This not only reduces the risk of injury and death, but also the psychological trauma associated with such disasters.

3. Economic Impact: The destruction of buildings in an earthquake can have a significant economic impact, both in terms of the cost of rebuilding and the disruption to businesses and services. Hazard-resistant buildings can reduce these costs.

4. Community Resilience: Communities that incorporate hazard-resistant buildings are more likely to recover quickly from a disaster. These buildings can continue to provide essential services and serve as a hub for disaster response efforts.

5. Prevention of Secondary Disasters: The collapse of buildings can lead to secondary disasters, such as fires caused by ruptured gas lines. Hazard-resistant buildings can prevent such disasters.

In the case of the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake, many buildings, including schools, collapsed causing a high number of casualties. If these buildings had been built to be hazard-resistant, the impact of the earthquake could have been significantly reduced.