Human reactions to the 2023 Al Haouz earthquake in Marrakech, Morocco: Findings from a survey within the UNESCO Global Geoparks community

This study investigates human behaviour during the 2023 Al Haouz earthquake in Morocco, focusing on the experiences of a homogeneous population of experts, represented by the participants of the 10th International Conference on UNESCO Global Geoparks in Marrakech. This unique event—a major earthquake coinciding with a meeting of experts in geological, natural and cultural heritage—offered a rare opportunity to analyze reactions during an earthquake within a specialized community. Data were collected through an online questionnaire distributed to the Global Geoparks community, exploring emotional responses, actions taken during the earthquake and knowledge of earthquake process and seismic hazard and risk. The research examines the influence of factors such as gender, age, professional background and previous earthquake experience on individual reactions. Findings revealed that fear was a common emotion, particularly among women. A significant portion of participants did not follow recommended safety procedures like "drop, cover, and hold on" instead opting for actions such as running outside the buildings. Implications of these findings for improving earthquake preparedness and resilience within the Global Geoparks community have been discussed. It has been stressed that targeted training and educational programs are necessary within the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network, for both local communities and Geopark staff, to improve the conversion of knowledge into effective earthquake safety practices.