College of Engineers proposes review of seismic standards after June 24 earthquakes

Venezuela's College of Engineers has called for a review of the country's seismic building codes and urban planning following the devastating earthquakes on June 24.

Enzo Betancourt, president of the organization, proposed on Monday the establishment of a National Seismic Commission. This commission would investigate the causes of building collapses and establish criteria to reduce the vulnerability of structures to future seismic events. Its proposed functions include issuing public reports on collapse causes and formulating recommendations for updating national seismic-resistant regulations.

The proposal also suggests using the commission's findings to guide reconstruction efforts and modify urban development rules. Betancourt indicated that the results would serve as input for public policies on disaster risk reduction, territorial planning, resilient reconstruction, and revising urban planning laws and building codes.

This initiative comes more than six weeks after the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes on June 24. The most recent figures cited by the College of Engineers indicate at least 6,125 deaths, over 16,700 injuries, and 41,624 affected households. The World Bank estimated direct physical damages at $19.6 billion, warning that slow reconstruction could hinder Venezuela's economic recovery for the next decade.

The College of Engineers emphasizes that the scale of the disaster necessitates more than just damage assessment. They aim to evaluate whether the current seismic-resistant regulations, last updated in 2019, require modifications and if existing inspection and supervision mechanisms are adequate. The goal is to ensure that reconstruction corrects existing vulnerabilities and that future infrastructure and urban growth decisions more rigorously incorporate seismic risk.