Earthquakes, as one of the major environmental risks, have affected human life throughout history in most parts of the world. Thanks to advanced technology, more is known today about earthquakes and more can be done to protect against them, especially in housing. This article discusses what is being done and what needs to be done in housing to reduce earthquake risk. First, analyses of earthquakes and ground conditions are discussed and earthquake risk for housing is summarised. Then, planning measures and building practices against earthquakes are presented, together with a case study from
Japan. Finally, the last section looks at the main principles of earthquake risk management.