The January 12, 2010, Haiti Earthquake: A Science Diplomacy Opportunity

The devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, revealed a well-established scientific reality, the permanent earthquake hazard to which most of the country is exposed. Beyond the tragedy and the on-going humanitarian crisis, this January 12 event is the signal for Haiti to engage on a sustainable path to seismic safety. Science and engineering provide a strong justification and basis to move forward with an integrated national program for earthquake risk reduction owned by the Haitian institutions and assisted by the international community. This program would contribute reliable recommendations for policy-makers and aggregate international scientific assistance into an optimized and coordinated framework with capacity building at its core. It must be argued for on the basis of science in support of risk resilience and serve as an advisory tool for policy makers. As such it should included, from day one, into the post-earthquake reconstruction efforts.