Earthquake impact mitigation in poor urban areas The case of Metropolitan Manila Kanako Iuchi Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA, and Ann-Margaret Esnard Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Florida Atlantic University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show that the Philippines is often described as the melting pot of natural disasters (typhoons, floods and torrential rains). As part of the Pacific ring of fire, the Philippines is also prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. In the current disaster management scheme, the poor are likely to be put last. Conventional risk reduction mitigation methods (such as land use and building codes) are failing. A paradigm shift is needed – one that enables poor communities to maximize their limited resources and contribute to risk reduction. Design/methodology/approach – Interviews and field investigations were conducted between 2001 and 2006 in three case study neighborhoods in Metro Manila to understand the risk components that exist and the resources (or lack of) for dealing with them. Findings – Field surveys highlighted three major risk components: liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), illegal electrical connections, and residential buildings. Mitigation efforts need to be implemented by: developing hybrid community organizations; minimizing direct physical damage; developing neighborhood cooperatives through microfinance schemes; and developing an in-kind community insurance system. Originality/value – While this research focused on earthquake impact mitigation, the inquiry and findings with respect to the urban poor in high risk areas, have applicability to other localities in the developing world. Furthermore, Manila’s situation is not unique. Disaster threats, rapid substandard urban development, growth in the number of the poor, and degradation of social capital, are phenomena present in other parts of the developing world. In such settings, traditional mitigation approaches are difficult to carry out effectively as well. Keywords Case studies, Earthquakes, Philippines, Risk assessment, Poverty Paper type Research paper Background and introduction The Philippines is located in a region within the Pacific Ring of fire, a zone of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Metro Manila[1], the capital of the Philippines, is The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/0965-3562.htm The field work component of this research (initiated between 2001 and 2004) was funded by the Japanese overseas development assistantships and the World Bank. Follow-up work and research were completed at Cornell University, where Professors David Lewis and Thomas Vietorisz of Cornell University’s Department of City and Regional Planning provided timely and important advice and feedback. The Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies and the International Studies in Planning at Cornell University provided for travel to conduct field surveys in Metro Manila in the summer of 2005. DPM 17,4 454 Disaster Prevention and Management Vol. 17 No. 4, 2008 pp. 454-469 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0965-3562 DOI 10.1108/09653560810901700