Last week, an expert meeting on strengthening the seismic resilience of buildings in Slovenia was held at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia in Ljubljana. The event was organised by the Slovenian Society for Earthquake Engineering, the Building and Civil Engineering Institute of Slovenia, and the Chamber of Engineers of Slovenia.
During the meeting, which was also supported by DRI, experts focused on enhancing the seismic resilience of buildings, as Slovenia is located in a seismically active region. The objective was to establish technical and other guidelines, as well as further steps to be taken after the adoption of the resolution on strengthening earthquake safety in Slovenia, prepared by the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning.
The meeting featured presentations on extensive experience, professional insights, initiatives, strategies, and post-earthquake activities in Croatia, as well as local interventions aimed at reducing earthquake risks in Italy. Participants were informed about the current data on the seismic vulnerability of buildings in Slovenia, as well as the experiences and challenges related to post-earthquake reconstruction in the Soča Valley. At the end, there was a roundtable discussion, where participants deliberated on the challenges and opportunities in implementing preventive measures to increase the seismic resilience of buildings in Slovenia. It was highlighted that, for example, mandatory earthquake retrofitting is not legally required in conjunction with energy renovations. Subsequently, a debate took place, leading to the adoption of concluding findings. Experts unanimously agreed that further steps to reduce earthquake risk, particularly the provision of stable funding, are essential. The primary message of the consultation is directed towards the state, emphasising the need to promptly adopt appropriate legislation to enhance the seismic resilience of buildings in Slovenia.
