This article describes a specifically developed framework to produce a seismic physical vulnerability model of residential buildings in Nablus (Palestine) within the European project SASPARM2.0. Based on the structural taxonomy of the territory, two different forms were defined to collect geometrical and structural data of buildings by different stakeholders (citizens and practitioners). This data was then employed to produce fragility curves using the mechanics-based procedure SP-BELA. To estimate seismic risk, the developed fragility model was combined with a hazard curve for the corresponding location. The described procedure is implemented in a WebGIS platform that allows to georeference and assess the surveyed buildings and define retrofitting strategies. Finally, the article carries out a comparison between the fragility curves of buildings in Nablus and the ones calculated for similar building typologies within a UNDP Jordan project aiming at the integrated risk assessment in Wadi Musa and surroundings.

Earthquakes are highly catastrophic natural events, in terms of casualties and economic losses. Regions with a large percentage of non-seismically designed buildings and reduced urban planning are particularly vulnerable to seismic events. In such regions, it is nevertheless possible to mitigate seismic risk, given by the convolution of hazard, exposure and vulnerability. The goal of this study is to propose simplified fragility and exposure models for the Palestinian region, specifically built upon local field surveys and data collection, whereas an existing state-of-the-art hazard model, specific for the Middle East region, was selected. The city of Nablus, a Palestinian commercial and cultural center in the northern West Bank, was chosen as a case-study. Special attention has been paid to the local construction practice of RC buildings, for different time periods. The identification of building types and their relative percentages within the in-built, has been conducted, leading to a preliminary taxonomy able to classify the most common structural systems. The outcome of this study enables the assessment of earthquake risk and rapid loss assessment at city and regional scale.