UW News

Karen Chen


February 3, 2025

Q&A: UW-led research identifies migration, housing quality as risk factors in earthquake deaths

Mountains and clouds sit behind the skyline of Taipei.

Workers from small, rural communities often move into the outer edges of cities, which offer greater economic opportunities but often have low-quality housing that is likely to suffer greater damage during an earthquake. The risk grows even more when migrants come from low-income or tribal villages.