Earthquakes are a wake-up call that natural hazards can rapidly transform into human-induced catastrophes when urban planning, governance, and environmental stewardship fail. In a rapidly growing city, seismic risk is a development and governance challenge. When inadequate preparedness converges with dense populations, the inevitable question arises: Are our cities built to survive?
While floods, cyclones, and river erosion are more visible, many people are not aware of the quieter seismic threat. Yet Bangladesh sits in a region of moderate to high seismic risk. In recent times, a 5.5-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of the country, serving as an unsettling reminder that earthquakes do not announce themselves and preparedness cannot be improvised at the last moment.
While seismic activity cannot be prevented, the conversion of earthquakes into large-scale disasters reflects systemic weaknesses in infrastructure, environmental management, and social protection. In this sense, earthquake-related losses are less acts of nature and more consequences of planning failures.
A city built on risk
For years,Dhaka has grown through unplanned urbanization, weak enforcement, and land grabbing schemes. The population density of Dhaka's urban areas multiplies the risk. Neighbourhoods are crowded with fragile multistorey buildings that rise faster than regulations can catch them, many constructed with cheap materials without basic structural checks, let alone seismic design.
Globally, structural failure has become the main contributor to earthquake-related deaths. According to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), poorly constructed buildings account for more than 70% of earthquake-related deaths worldwide. South Asia faces the problem of fast-growing cities with building standards not being implemented on time.
Buildings constructed without adherence to seismic design principles are particularly susceptible to failure, even during moderate ground shaking. Many urban areas contain aging structures built before the introduction of modern seismic codes, as well as informal constructions developed outside regulatory oversight.
Studies by the Comprehensive Disaster Management Program (CDMP) estimate that over 60% of buildings in Dhaka are vulnerable to moderate seismic shaking. Compounding the danger is Dhaka’s foundation on soft alluvial soil, which significantly increases the risk of soil liquefaction. Even a moderate earthquake could trigger disproportionate structural damage, turning everyday housing into death traps.
Environmental vulnerabilities
Environmental factors further amplify seismic vulnerability. Dhaka’s geographical position at the zone of active tectonic plates including the Indian, Eurasian, and Burmese plates, places it in a zone susceptible to earthquakes. The city’s foundation on soft alluvial sediments increases the potential for soil liquefaction and seismic wave amplification, meaning that shaking intensity during an earthquake could be significantly higher than the event’s nominal magnitude suggests.
Human actions have worsened these natural vulnerabilities. Wetlands and floodplains, which once acted as natural buffers, have been systematically filled for real estate development. Open spaces that could serve as emergency evacuation zones are increasingly scarce. Land-use planning rarely integrates geological or seismic risk assessments, reflecting a broader failure to embed hazard science into urban policy.
Unregulated groundwater extraction, deforestation, and construction on unstable terrain further increase the likelihood of secondary hazards such as liquefaction and ground deformation. When urban expansion ignores environmental limits, seismic events that might have been manageable can quickly become catastrophic.
Climate change, while not causing earthquakes, acts as a risk multiplier. Increased environmental stress, weakened ecosystems, and strained infrastructure reduce a city’s ability to absorb shocks. Protecting ecosystems, therefore, is not merely an environmental concern; it is a core component of disaster risk reduction.
Mental health and social trauma
Beyond physical destruction, earthquakes leave lasting psychological scars. Following recent tremors, many Dhaka residents, particularly students and young adults, reported anxiety, panic attacks, and persistent fear. Minor vibrations now trigger disproportionate responses, a condition known as seismophobia, or fear of earthquakes.
Emergency evacuations during tremors have already resulted in injuries caused by panic rather than structural failure. These reactions reflect collective trauma rooted in uncertainty, inadequate information, and a pervasive sense of vulnerability. The absence of regular drills limited public education on earthquake safety, and the lack of accessible mental health services exacerbates fear and the spread of misinformation.
Yet mental health remains a marginal concern in disaster management. Recovery efforts often prioritize rebuilding infrastructure, while psychological support remains underfunded. Research by the World Health Organization shows that untreated post-disaster mental distress can persist for years, undermining social cohesion and community resilience.
Preparedness is a necessity
Earthquakes cannot be stopped, but the devastation they cause can be. Reducing seismic risk requires coordinated, long-term action. Strict enforcement of building codes, retrofitting of vulnerable structures, and environmentally informed land-use planning are non-negotiable. Electricity, water, transport, and communications, must be designed for resilience, as delayed rescue operations significantly increase post-earthquake fatalities.
Equally important is governance. Bangladesh has disaster management policies on paper, but weak enforcement, corruption, and limited institutional capacity undermine preparedness. Public education campaigns, regular evacuation drills, and the integration of mental health services into disaster response frameworks are critical.
Preparedness is not reactive; it is an investment over several decades. Earthquakes come without warning, while risk is created over time, decision by decision, structure by structure.
Maisha Kareem is a graduate architect from Taylor’s University. Nafia Saddaf is working in the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD).