Earthquakes do not kill people buildings do – Dr Biggs

The University of Malawi (UNIMA) in collaboration with the Universities of Bristol and Cardiff in the United Kingdom on Wednesday, August 7 launched the opening of the Seismic Risk Research Workshop at the Polytechnic Business Centre Auditorium.

The workshop points at strengthening existing cross-disciplinary and multinational collaboration on seismic risk research.

Dr Juliet Biggs, one of the organizers explained that the aim of the project is to increase resilience of the Malawian communities during the earthquake scare.

“We are doing this by understanding the earthquake better and understanding the styles of building in Malawi and coming up with local solutions to reduce the vulnerability to earthquakes,” she said.

In his remarks before declaring the workshop officially opened, the Surveyor General from the Department of Surveys in the Ministry of Lands and housing, Julius Chisi described the workshop significant, because Malawi lies in the rift valley where earthquakes happen once in a while.

“As a ministry, we are appreciative for the workshop which has brought experts from outside and within the country to help in coming up with expertise on how the country can survive earthquakes,” Chisi said.