Enhancing resilience against seismic hazards in earthquake-prone regions is essential for reducing the devastating impacts of disasters. Our study focuses on Montenegro—a region with frequent seismic activity—to assess resilience levels, identify critical gaps in preparedness, and evaluate the effectiveness of existing response strategies.
Using qualitative methods, including semi-structured interviews with residents from Montenegro’s most vulnerable cities (Nikšić, Podgorica, Bar, Kotor, Cetinje, Budva, Herceg Novi, and Berane), we gathered insights from those with first-hand experience of significant earthquakes.
Key findings include:
Significant disparities in resilience across communities.
Approximately 62.5% of respondents highlighted inadequate education as a barrier to effective earthquake preparedness.
Only 37.5% reported awareness of basic earthquake response procedures.
Rural areas showed deficiencies, with 50% of respondents identifying a lack of organized drills and limited public awareness initiatives.
These findings underscore the urgent need for community-specific preparedness programs, enhancements in structural resilience, and increased public education to bolster community readiness effectively.
Our study calls for a comprehensive approach involving detailed risk assessments, community-focused preparedness training, stronger public awareness initiatives, and 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.
I invite you to read the full paper and share your thoughts on how we can work together to improve seismic resilience in vulnerable regions.
Cvetković, V., Grozdanić, G., Milanović, M., Marković, S. & Lukić, T. (2024). Understanding seismic hazard resilience in Montenegro: A qualitative analysis of community preparedness and response capabilities. Open Geosciences, 16(1), 20220729. https://doi.org/10.1515/geo-2022-0729
