Panama Earthquakes Risk Profile

Overview & Synopsis

Panama faces meaningful earthquake risk, with masonry structures, particularly unreinforced brick and concrete block construction, accounting for the majority of potential losses and representing the most critical target for risk reduction. The province of Chiriqui stands out as having the highest relative earthquake risk due to a greater concentration of vulnerable building types and potentially higher seismic intensity. Hurricane risk in Panama is negligible, making earthquakes the dominant natural hazard concern for the country's built environment. Improving construction standards, particularly for masonry and adobe structures, represents the most impactful avenue for reducing Panama's overall disaster risk profile.