Ecuador
My country of choice throughout this semester has been Ecuador, and I have had a blast researching this country! I am here today to discuss Ecuador's main natural hazards and how I would make it so the people were safe when they occur.
Ecuador's most dangerous natural hazard is earthquakes due to the country sitting on the Nazca and Soth American tectonic plates. Very dangerous high-magnitude earthquakes continue to rock all over the country of Ecuador. Just this year in March a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit the city of Quito a city with over two million people in its residence. The earthquake caused homes and buildings to topple over effectively 15 people and injured 445 others. Ecuador's largest and most deadly earthquake occurred in 2016, 7.8 on the Rictor scale claiming over 600 lives in the process and leaving over 16,000 injured. Since the 1950's earthquakes altogether have claimed over 5,000 lives some even through the tsunami that occurred due to the 2016 earthquake. 
(Parts of the aftermath of the deadly 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Ecuador in 2016, Image link: https://www.wvi.org/sites/default/files/IMG-20160417-WA0024.jpg)
Another very common and very dangerous natural hazard that occurs in Ecuador is mass wasting or landslides. In March of this year, a large landslide hit Quito the same city that was affected by the earthquake. This landslide affected over 500 people and its estimated that it killed at least 11 as well as injured 23 people. Earthquakes and heavy rains are the main causes of in Ecuador for mass wasting and both are something that is very common. Over the last 20 years, Ecuador has been affected by the most rainfall that the country has ever seen causing extensive flooding and large landslides. Every year we see another landslide where more people are killed, injured, and or missing, and while natural hazards are not able to be stopped they are able to address when they happened.
(The landslide that hit Ecuador in 2020 which killed 11 people. Image Link: https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2023/03/27/ap23086586934399-4c205d92bcc4b27afc05c21699a7fa795132414a-s1600-c85.webp)
Education is the best and most effective way to address these natural hazards. Since these hazards are naturally occurring there is no way to prevent them before they occur. However, education and learning what to do when something such as an earthquake or landslide happens or has happened can save people's lives. I would propose extensive resources and availability of education so the people of Ecuador will know what to do when one occurs. I would also provide shelter as well as food and water for the people unhoused and affected by the natural hazards. I would establish and provide migration measures to these safe houses around the county especially where the risk of earthquakes and other natural disasters are common.
The city that holds the record for the most at-risk to natural disasters, especially earthquakes is the Esmeraldas Providence on the north-western coast of the country because of the close proximity of the Nazca and South American plates. This providence is where I would most likely target first due to the repercussions that can come after an earthquake ensues including landslides, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions.
Due to the several earthquakes that occur a year in Ecuador, tsunamis are pretty common as well as landslides so constructing my house no matter how pretty the coast may be it's highly likely that these areas can lead to dangerous situations. The place where I would build my house would be the Azuay Providence. To every natural hazard Ecuador has a high risk for everyone, however, it is a place that is landlocked so tsunamis will not occur, and it has a lower risk of earthquakes, as well as a lower risk of flooding and landslides. The Azuay Providence is also just extremely beautiful, rounded by tall mountains and flowing rivers as well as beautiful cities.
(The Azuay Providence Image Link: https://media.istockphoto.com/id/614430422/photo/view-of-the-city-of-cuenca.jpg?s=612x612&w=0&k=20&c=zLOEDBmkOgX7zpkiD1LgJoPHk5H7On_dEnaOiYStqvU=)
Works Cited:
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/deadly-earthquake-ecuador-brings-grief-fear-rcna75761
https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/18/americas/ecuador-earthquake/index.html
https://www.worlddata.info/america/ecuador/earthquakes.php
https://www.npr.org/2023/03/27/1166410385/landslide-ecuador
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-60211539
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/ecuador/natural-disasters
https://thinkhazard.org/en/report/73-ecuador/UF
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