Dubai schoolboy challenges UAE quake scientists An avid geography student begs to differ from scientists
who think that the UAE is not
earthquake prone. The devastating earthquake in Pakistan should alert the UAE
about the danger, says Basim Ahmed, student of Ibn Seena English High School here.
Scientists like Dr Fares Howari of the Geology Department of the UAE University, have clearly said that the UAE cannot face seismic hazards of the magnitude of the Pakistan quake. But, in the case of any eventuality, is the UAE prepared for crisis management?
Basim claims that there might be another earthquake of a bigger magnitude in this region soon. Before mild tremors shook Sharjah on March 11, 2002, I had warned my friends and relatives that there was a possibility of an earthquake in the UAE. I am repeating that warning again after the recent tsunami and the quake in Pakistan. He says that his main concern is to raise awareness among the people, and make them aware of what safety precautions to adopt in case of a quake. His theory is that tectonic activity in the UAE on March 11, 2002 was linked to earthquakes that had devastated the very same countries of the subcontinent, as it has done recently i.e. Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan and also Sumatra. Evidence from nature cannot be ignored. Animals are extremely sensitive to nature and behave oddly before a disaster and meanwhile, he makes it clear that he is not predicting the future but his theory is based on scientific fact.
On the contrary, Dr Howari has assured that these countries are confined to their location within the geologically active Alpine-Himalayan belt. He said the recent earthquake in Kashmir was the result of Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates colliding. This collision created the Himalayas 50 million years ago and continues to raise the Himalayas by about 5mm a year. His theory is based on lots of research done on the Internet and also my intellectual power. Everybody knows that the Zagros belt and Dibba fault are active and a record 150 tremors were felt in the areas surrounding the Dibba fault in 2004.
However, Dr Howari said the seismic activities along the UAE fault zones located near Dibba, between Bidyah and Jebel Salhal, and Wadi Ham are not comparable with those of Zagros region. The major concern in the UAE comes from the seismic activity in the Zagros earthquake belt in western Iran, he points out.
Stating that there was need for further research to ascertain whether scientists and engineers were over-estimating potential natural hazards, Dr Howari said that there is, however, an agreement on the need for a national earthquake monitoring network, and on improving emergency response as well as improving our understanding of the geological or tectonic setting of the country.
An official from the Sharjah Municipality said that the newly constructed buildings are earthquake-resistant, but the majority of the old ones might not be able to withstand even mild tremors.