Seismic Inequality

Seismic Inequality

When an earthquake hits, the death toll is usually directly related to whether a country has a strict building code in place. Despite that, we find out why some development experts argue AGAINST spending dollars on better construction in poor countries.

When an earthquake hits, the extent of the death toll is often directly related to the existence of (or lack of) strict building codes. Consider what happened in Haiti and Japan. So could poor countries save lives by putting strong construction codes in place? We meet a development expert who argues a focus on better construction is often misplaced, and money should be better spent schools, vaccines, and other similar interventions.

Guests

Charles Kenny

Senior fellow, Center for Global Development

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The Kojo Nnamdi Show is produced by member-supported WAMU 88.5 in Washington DC.