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NATO-Algeria joint efforts to promote earthquake safety

'from the left to the right, the Italian Ambassador to Algiers Mr G. B. Verderame (NATO contact point in Algeria), Dr Fausto Pedrazzini (Programme Director, NATO Public Diplomacy Division), Mr Hanesh (Director General, Europe, Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and Mr Benhadjudja (Chief of Staff of the Algerian Minister of Land Planning and Environment)

‘Improving the earthquake safety of public buildings in the Maghreb region’ was the topic of the Advanced Research Workshop that took place in Algiers, Algeria, from 22 to 24 May 2005. Proposed by the NATO Public Diplomacy Division to the Algerian Ministry of Land Planning and Environment and jointly organised, this workshop is an example of civil co-operation between NATO and Algeria, which is a member of NATO’s Mediterranean Dialogue. Given the devastating earthquake that hit the country on 21 May 2003, earthquake safety is a crucial issue for Algeria.

Cherif Rahmani, Algeria's Minister of Land Planning and Environment

The workshop included both discussions in plenary sessions and through working groups. How to protect public buildings, such as schools, hospitals and government and administrative structures, was the topic at stake. Plenary sessions focused on presentations given by experts from NATO and Maghreb countries as well as on the experience of the three Maghreb countries (Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco) under the risk of seismic activities. The working groups focused on earthquake hazard assessment, earthquake resistant design, earthquake performance assessment and earthquake retrofit (that is, interventions to repair and reinforce structures damaged by an earthquake). Foreign participants had also the opportunity to visit the region of Bourmerdès which was devastated by the May 2003 earthquake.

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