The National Center for Earthquakes and Volcanoes (NCEV) has called for the formation of a committee consisting of experts to determine the dangerous volcanic areas. Hani Muhmoud Zahran, Director General of the NCEV at the Saudi Geological Survey, also emphasized the importance of enforcing a construction code in areas susceptible to earthquakes and volcanoes, particularly Jizan, Makkah and Madina, Al-Madina Arabic daily quoted him as saying Saturday. He said preparations and arrangements to deal with the natural disaster and public awareness have effectively helped in limiting the losses and damages to lives and properties. There should be a three-side study, he said, focusing on determining the sources of the risks of the earthquake and analyzing them on the seismology networks; to construct earthquake resistant buildings besides enlightening the residents in these areas about the ideal behavior in dealing with such natural calamities. Apart from this, the Civil Defense is tasked with working out a national emergency plan defining the role of all the bodies involved in dealing with such incidents besides strictly enforcing it upon eruption of volcanoes or occurrence of earthquakes. He said the degree and intensity of the earthquakes in these areas is relatively less when compared with cities located on the Aqba Gulf in the northwest and southwest of the Kingdom. He said the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs is responsible for enforcement of the building code. As such, he said, ministry has sent the said code to all the mayoralties. He said prior to the construction license the mayoralties should hand over a copy of the building code to landlords and contractors in order to apply it in their buildings stressing the importance of being monitored closely by the authorities concerned in mayoralties and municipalities.
