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Introduction
Earthquakes kill tens of thousands every year, and approximately 90 per cent of these fatalities occur in developing countries (OECD, 2008), mostly due to a lack of awareness and preparedness and poor construction design and practices caused by corruption (Escaleras et al., 2007). For instance, the tragic 7.0-magnitude Haiti earthquake in 2010 claimed the lives of more than 200,000 people, while the 8.0-magnitude Sichuan Earthquake in 2008 killed more than 80,000 people and destroyed thousands of buildings, including schools and hospitals, in China. As well, the 6.3-magnitude in Bam, Iran, in 2003 resulted in the loss of 30,000 human lives, while the 1999 Marmara earthquake in Turkey killed more than 19,000 (Anbarci et al., 2005). Thus, earthquake-vulnerable communities must be properly and adequately educated and aware of the involved seismic risks in order to cautiously prepare to respond to this hazard and to take the necessary safety measures to reduce the damaging effects of such disasters.
People respond to earthquakes according to their view of the hazard as perceptions and awareness influence behaviour (Mileti, 1993). After reviewing 23 studies, Lindell and Perry (2000) confirmed that households’ adoption of earthquake hazard adjustments is correlated with perceptions of the hazard, demographic characteristics and social influences. Lindell and Perry (2012) suggested the Protective Action Decision Model (PADM) and identified three core perceptions to environmental hazards and disasters (threat perceptions, protective action perceptions and stakeholder perceptions) that show how people respond to an immediate or long-term threat. The application of the PADM showed a positive correlation between risk perception and preparedness intentions (Terpstra and Lindell, 2013). Janis and Mann (1977) show that actions are motivated by perceptions and awareness of hazards, knowledge of their effects on the community and feelings of personal vulnerability to the potential consequences. Lindell and Perry (1993) argue that people do not need to understand a hazard to be sufficiently motivated to prepare for it, but they need to believe that the hazard exists and that protection is needed. Therefore, understanding public perceptions of earthquake hazards is necessary to influence hazard preparedness.
Lebanon, one of the most urbanised countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region, is highly vulnerable to earthquakes. Seismic activity in Lebanon and along the Dead Sea Fault has been documented...