Changing the way things are built in Haiti

It has been said that "poverty predicts quake damage better than the Richter scale". In more developed countries earthquakes equal to and greater than the 7.0 Haiti earthquake resulted in minimal loss of life as compared with the hundred of thousands who perished in Haiti. This is clearly a result of poor construction practices due in large part to the economic impoverishment of the nation. However, the good news is that it is possible to make drastic improvements to the quality and safety of new construction by implementing a comprehensive plan that does not need to heavily impact the cost of construction.