Incentives and Motivators for Improving Building Resilience to Earthquake Disaster: Fid-Bau Portal

Incentives and Motivators for Improving Building Resilience to Earthquake Disaster

Egbelakin, T. / Wilkinson, S. / Ingham, J. / Potangaroa, R. / Sajoudi, M.

Encouraging property owners to adopt measures to improve the resilience of their buildings to seismic hazard has been a major challenge in many earthquake-prone countries. Owners of buildings vulnerable to seismic hazard are often found unwilling or lacking in motivation to strengthen their properties, despite the availability of several earthquake risk mitigation mechanisms. This study sought to investigate essential motivational factors that would enable building owners to voluntarily strengthen their vulnerable buildings. Using 208 structured questionnaires and structural equation modeling for data analysis, the research findings uncovered a set of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators necessary to enhance earthquake mitigation decisions. The intrinsic motivators include using information communication networks such as policy entrepreneurs and community engagement in risk mitigation. Extrinsic motivators comprise financial, regulatory, technological, and property market–based incentives. The model developed in this study and findings provide guidance to local council officials and professionals involved in earthquake risk management on the mix of incentives that will foster the collective protective actions necessary to improve the built environment’s resilience to seismic disasters.