Vulnerability Reduction through Local Seismic Culture.

The article discusses an engineering project which investigates the existence of a seismic culture on the island of Lefkada, off the West coast of Greece, and its influence on the vulnerability of the local population to earthquakes. The factors that may retain or eliminate this culture and the extent to which this is desirable and possible in the context of sustainable earthquake mitigation and overall development are assessed. The importance of local context in the study of seismic cultures justifies the selection of the case study as an appropriate research strategy for the project.