Understanding seismic hazard resilience in Montenegro: A qualitative analysis of community preparedness and response capabilities
Enhancing resilience against seismic hazards in earthquake-prone regions is essential for reducing the devastating impacts of disasters. Seismic resilience refers to a community’s ability to withstand and recover from earthquake impacts, while preparedness gaps are the areas where current measures a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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De Gruyter
2024-11-01
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| Series: | Open Geosciences |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1515/geo-2022-0729 |
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| author | Cvetković Vladimir M. Grozdanić Goran Milanović Miško Marković Slobodan Lukić Tin |
| author_facet | Cvetković Vladimir M. Grozdanić Goran Milanović Miško Marković Slobodan Lukić Tin |
| author_sort | Cvetković Vladimir M. |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Enhancing resilience against seismic hazards in earthquake-prone regions is essential for reducing the devastating impacts of disasters. Seismic resilience refers to a community’s ability to withstand and recover from earthquake impacts, while preparedness gaps are the areas where current measures are insufficient to effectively respond to or mitigate earthquake damage. This study focuses on Montenegro – a region with frequent seismic activity – aiming to assess resilience levels, identify critical gaps in preparedness, and evaluate the effectiveness of existing response strategies. Using qualitative methods, including semi-structured interviews, the research gathered insights from residents of Montenegro’s most vulnerable cities: Nikšić, Podgorica, Bar, Kotor, Cetinje, Budva, Herceg Novi, and Berane. Participants, chosen for their first-hand experience with significant earthquake impacts, provided valuable perspectives on various aspects of resilience, from local government response to individual preparedness. This research revealed significant disparities in resilience across communities: for instance, approximately 62.5% of the respondents highlighted inadequate education as a barrier to effective earthquake preparedness, and only 37.5% reported awareness of basic earthquake response procedures. Furthermore, while some communities, such as urban areas with accessible services, reported higher preparedness levels, rural areas showed deficiencies, with 50% of the respondents from these areas identifying a lack of organized drills and limited public awareness initiatives. These findings underscore the urgent need for community-specific preparedness programs and enhancements in both structural resilience and public education to bolster community readiness effectively. Also, findings highlight the need for customized preparedness programs tailored to specific community needs, alongside improvements in structural safety measures and educational outreach. The study underscores the importance of a comprehensive approach involving detailed risk assessments, community-focused preparedness training, and stronger public awareness initiatives. Furthermore, the study calls for enhanced local government capabilities to sustain proactive response measures, including rapid mobilization of emergency resources and regular disaster simulations, to build long-term resilience across communities. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-38cfe195e39f4fe683268de33bcf2dec |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2391-5447 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | De Gruyter |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Open Geosciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-38cfe195e39f4fe683268de33bcf2dec2025-08-20T02:13:41ZengDe GruyterOpen Geosciences2391-54472024-11-011611022674210.1515/geo-2022-0729Understanding seismic hazard resilience in Montenegro: A qualitative analysis of community preparedness and response capabilitiesCvetković Vladimir M.0Grozdanić Goran1Milanović Miško2Marković Slobodan3Lukić Tin4Department of Disaster Management and Environmental Security, Faculty of Security Studies, University of Belgrade, Gospodara Vučića 50, 11040, Belgrade, SerbiaFaculty of Philosophy, University of Montenegro, Danila Bojovića bb., 81400, Nikšić, MontenegroFaculty of Geography, University of Belgrade, Studentski Trg 3/III, 11000, Belgrade, SerbiaDepartment of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000, Novi Sad, SerbiaDepartment of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000, Novi Sad, SerbiaEnhancing resilience against seismic hazards in earthquake-prone regions is essential for reducing the devastating impacts of disasters. Seismic resilience refers to a community’s ability to withstand and recover from earthquake impacts, while preparedness gaps are the areas where current measures are insufficient to effectively respond to or mitigate earthquake damage. This study focuses on Montenegro – a region with frequent seismic activity – aiming to assess resilience levels, identify critical gaps in preparedness, and evaluate the effectiveness of existing response strategies. Using qualitative methods, including semi-structured interviews, the research gathered insights from residents of Montenegro’s most vulnerable cities: Nikšić, Podgorica, Bar, Kotor, Cetinje, Budva, Herceg Novi, and Berane. Participants, chosen for their first-hand experience with significant earthquake impacts, provided valuable perspectives on various aspects of resilience, from local government response to individual preparedness. This research revealed significant disparities in resilience across communities: for instance, approximately 62.5% of the respondents highlighted inadequate education as a barrier to effective earthquake preparedness, and only 37.5% reported awareness of basic earthquake response procedures. Furthermore, while some communities, such as urban areas with accessible services, reported higher preparedness levels, rural areas showed deficiencies, with 50% of the respondents from these areas identifying a lack of organized drills and limited public awareness initiatives. These findings underscore the urgent need for community-specific preparedness programs and enhancements in both structural resilience and public education to bolster community readiness effectively. Also, findings highlight the need for customized preparedness programs tailored to specific community needs, alongside improvements in structural safety measures and educational outreach. The study underscores the importance of a comprehensive approach involving detailed risk assessments, community-focused preparedness training, and stronger public awareness initiatives. Furthermore, the study calls for enhanced local government capabilities to sustain proactive response measures, including rapid mobilization of emergency resources and regular disaster simulations, to build long-term resilience across communities.https://doi.org/10.1515/geo-2022-0729disasterseismic hazardseismic resiliencemontenegroqualitative analysislocal preparednessresponse mechanismsvulnerability assessmentpublic awareness |
| spellingShingle | Cvetković Vladimir M. Grozdanić Goran Milanović Miško Marković Slobodan Lukić Tin Understanding seismic hazard resilience in Montenegro: A qualitative analysis of community preparedness and response capabilities Open Geosciences disaster seismic hazard seismic resilience montenegro qualitative analysis local preparedness response mechanisms vulnerability assessment public awareness |
| title | Understanding seismic hazard resilience in Montenegro: A qualitative analysis of community preparedness and response capabilities |
| title_full | Understanding seismic hazard resilience in Montenegro: A qualitative analysis of community preparedness and response capabilities |
| title_fullStr | Understanding seismic hazard resilience in Montenegro: A qualitative analysis of community preparedness and response capabilities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding seismic hazard resilience in Montenegro: A qualitative analysis of community preparedness and response capabilities |
| title_short | Understanding seismic hazard resilience in Montenegro: A qualitative analysis of community preparedness and response capabilities |
| title_sort | understanding seismic hazard resilience in montenegro a qualitative analysis of community preparedness and response capabilities |
| topic | disaster seismic hazard seismic resilience montenegro qualitative analysis local preparedness response mechanisms vulnerability assessment public awareness |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1515/geo-2022-0729 |
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