earticle

영어

Mongolia is in a highly active seismic zone in Central Asia. Historically, earthquakes with a magnitude of M>8 have occurred four times and M>7 more than 20 times in the 20th century. The frequency of earthquakes with M>=3.5 is constantly increasing. In 2021, the number of earthquakes in Mongolian territory reached 254, six times more than the average number of the last decade [1]. Simultaneously, Mongolia is experiencing rapid urbanization. 6.1 percent of the total Mongolian population resided in the cities in 1933 while commencing the transfer of nomadic husbandry lifestyles to settlement. The percentage of the urban population dramatically gained to 69.4 in 2021. Urbanization increases the disaster exposure of the communities in cities at high risk of earthquakes. Community earthquake preparedness, mainly urban community preparedness, is vital to prevent consequences caused by possible earthquake occurrences. Thus, we aimed to assess community earthquake preparedness in urban areas via an online survey based on voluntary participation. It covers the contents of disaster risk reduction knowledge, awareness, and practical skills; disaster preparedness habits and behavior change; and readiness for earthquake early warning signals for community disaster preparedness. The results state that the responses “Very High” and ‘High’ occupy only 23.5 percent of all respondents. Community disaster preparedness in cities is not adequate in Mongolia.