Doctoral abstracts

Citation

(2014), "Doctoral abstracts", International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, Vol. 5 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJDRBE-01-2014-0002

Doctoral abstracts

Article Type: Doctoral abstracts From: International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, Volume 5, Issue 1

Thesis title: Incentives and motivators for enhancing earthquake risk mitigation decision

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering
Candidate name: Dr Temitope Kikelomo Egbelakin
Department: Department of Civil Engineering
College/university: Faculty of Engineering, The University of Auckland
Country: New Zealand
Completion date: February 2013
Language of the thesis: English
Thesis supervisor(s): Professor Suzanne Wilkinson, Professor Jason Ingham and Associate Professor Regan Potangaroa
Postal address: School of Engineering and Advanced Technology (SEAT), Massey University, Private Bag 102 904, North Shore City 0745, Auckland, New Zealand
E-mail: mailto:T.Egbelakin@massey.ac.nz

Thesis abstract

The increasing scale of losses from earthquake disasters has reinforced the need for property owners to become proactive in seismic risk reduction programs. However, despite advancement in seismic design methods and legislative frameworks, building owners are often reluctant to adopt mitigation measures required to reduce earthquake losses. The magnitude of building collapses from the recent Christchurch earthquakes in New Zealand shows that owners of earthquake prone buildings (EPBs) are not adopting appropriate risk mitigation measures in their buildings. Owners of EPBs are found unwilling or lack motivation to adopt adequate mitigation measures that will reduce their vulnerability to seismic risks.

This research investigates how to increase the likelihood of building owners undertaking appropriate mitigation actions that will reduce their vulnerability to earthquake disaster. A sequential two-phase mixed methods approach was adopted for the research investigation. Multiple case studies approach was adopted in the first qualitative phase, followed by the second quantitative research phase that includes the development and testing of a framework.

The research findings reveal four categories of critical obstacles to building owners’ decision to adopt earthquake loss prevention measures. These obstacles include perception, sociological, economic and institutional impediments. Intrinsic and extrinsic interventions are proposed as incentives for overcoming these barriers. The intrinsic motivators include using information communication networks such as mass media, policy entrepreneurs and community engagement in risk mitigation. Extrinsic motivators comprise the use of four groups of incentives namely; financial, regulatory, technological and property market incentives. These intrinsic and extrinsic interventions are essential for enhancing property owners’ decisions to voluntarily adopt appropriate earthquake mitigation measures.

The study concludes by providing specific recommendations that earthquake risk mitigation managers, city councils and stakeholders involved in risk mitigation in New Zealand and other seismic risk vulnerable countries could consider in earthquake risk management. Local authorities could adopt the framework developed in this study to demonstrate a combination of incentives and motivators that yield best-valued outcomes. Consequently, actions can be more specific and outcomes more effective. The implementation of these recommendations could offer greater reasons for the stakeholders and public to invest in building New Zealand’s built environment resilience to earthquake disasters.