Author(s)

S. -H Chou & H. -C. Shih

Abstract

A study on the risk evaluation and public perception of earthquake hazards in Chia-Yi County, Taiwan S. -H. Chou1 & H. -C. Shih2 1 Department of Land Management and Development, Chang Jung Christian University, Taiwan 2 Department of Real Estate Management, Leader University, Taiwan Abstract To mitigate risks of earthquake hazards, those districts locate on earthquake- prone areas often delimit earthquake risk zones through the methods of risk evaluation. Many strategies of local land use control are then accordingly proposed. Actually, many people engage in land development within such earthquake risk zones. It appears that there are differentiae to some certain degree between science and public perception. This study analyzes historical events records and geologic hazardous potential of earthquakes in Chia-Yi County to delimit hazard susceptibility zones. Then conducts a survey of land users within susceptibility zone to understand the initial perception on earthquake risk. This initial perception will be compared to the final perception which people expressed after the zoning information is presented. It is not only to realize the differentiae between individual behavior and expressed risk perception of respondents, but also present the influence of scientific risk information on lay people. The outcomes of this paper will be important information for planners and decision-makers to propose earthquake hazard mitigation measures. 1 Introduction Earthquake is a kind of natural events that will attack people's lives and property. Since the earthquake is hard to control and predict, avoidance of high-risk earthquake areas is the most direct risk mitigation measure [1]. Thus the important principle of land use planning is converting already developed areas to

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