Onesvie urges Professionals to follow seismic standards for building safety

Santo Domingo.- The General Directorate of the National Office for Seismic Assessment and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings (Onesvie) has called on engineering and architecture professionals to adhere to the Seismic Regulation R-001 when constructing buildings. This call comes in response to the devastating effects of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, which claimed over 300,000 lives, caused widespread destruction, and led to millions of dollars in losses.

While the earthquake primarily affected Haiti, Onesvie emphasized that the Dominican Republic also has a significant amount of vulnerable infrastructure. Despite this, preventive measures to reduce vulnerability and build resilience have been limited over the years. Leonardo Reyes Madera, the general director of Onesvie, stressed the importance of ongoing and thorough evaluations of buildings and infrastructure to ensure the country is prepared for future seismic events.

Reyes Madera reminded the public that the Dominican Republic committed to strengthening its vulnerability reduction efforts under the Sendai Framework 2015-2030. This commitment aims to protect both lives and heritage by improving the resilience of infrastructure and ensuring better preparedness for earthquakes.