STRUCTURAL AND NON-STRUCTURAL MEASURES

STRUCTURAL MEASURES:

Any physical construction to reduce or avoid possible impacts of hazards, or application of

engineering techniques to achieve hazard resistance and resilience in structures or systems are
known as structural measures.

Examples of structural measures:

Common structural measures for disaster risk reduction include dams, flood levies, ocean
wave barriers, earthquake-resistant construction, and evacuation shelters.

For flood: By-pass channel, Dam, Drainage System, Flood wall, Reservoir, Retention
pond, Road elevation, Storm drain, Water pump.
For earthquake: Earthquake proof construction, Pressed brick and bamboo
reinforcement, Strengthened confinements of buildings, Retrofitting.
For tsunamis: Construction of sea wells and break waters, Planting tree belts,
Regulation of coastal zone.
For cyclones: Developing community shelter belts, Construction of permanent
houses.

NON-STRUCTURAL MEASURES:

Measures not involving physical construction that uses knowledge, practice or agreement to
reduce risks and impacts, in particular through policies and laws, public awareness raising,
training and education are known as non-structural measures.

Examples of non-structural measures:

Building codes enforcement,

Environmental management,
Financial measures: insurance, loans, tax, micro-finance schemes, compensation,
Forecasting, monitoring & early warning systems,
Knowledge management: education, research, public awareness, capacity building,
Land use planning and zoning,
Legislation and policy development,
Natural resources protection: water, coast, forest