In this century, four of every five deaths caused by earthquakes occurred in developing countries. Little has been done to reduce the risk of these people. Most people in cities of industrialized nations are aware of their earthquake risk, while in developing countries they are not.
Building codes are common in industrialized nations, but rare in developing countries.
When codes do exist, frequently they are not enforced. Experts in earth science and earthquake engineering in developing countries are few, ill-equipped, and isolated. Yet much can be done. Over this century, when industrialized countries markedly improved their construction practices and emergency response capabilities, the average number of fatalities per fatal earthquake in these countries was reduced by a factor of 10. The average number of fatalities per fatal earthquake in developing countries, by contrast, has not changed over this period.