Scientists to release new global earthquake risk map on December 5th

Global maps to enhance disaster risk reduction strategies worldwide

The GEM Foundation (Global Earthquake Model) will present the global earthquake hazard and risk maps on December 5th 2018 in Pavia, Italy aimed to enhance disaster risk reduction strategies worldwide.

Hundreds of collaborators from public, private and academic organizations around the world worked together for many years to produce the global maps expected to set a new benchmark for global earthquake hazard and risk assessment.

The earthquake hazard map, a mosaic of more than 30 national and regional models, is the first major, global effort of its kind since the release of GSHAP in 1999. The new map is derived from much more detailed information on active faults and ground shaking from past earthquakes, as well as information from local experts.

Through the public sector organization Geoscience Australia, Australia has made contributions to the global map well beyond its own borders by supporting many of its regional neighbours.

“We’ve directly supported the contributions made by countries such as Indonesia and Papua New Guinea and indirectly supported countries like the Philippines,” said Ms. Lee Carson - Branch Head of Community Safety at Geoscience Australia. Australia has been a contributing member to GEM since its inception and was proud of the contribution it had made to the global map.

The earthquake risk map, comprised of national and regional exposure and vulnerability models, is the most comprehensive global assessment of earthquake risk to date. It also features individual country earthquake risk profiles.

“Scientific efforts around the world are helping us better understand earthquake phenomena and improve risk mitigation and emergency preparedness so we are ready when earthquakes occur. Our Government is proud of Canada’s contribution to earthquake science and to the GEM Foundation’s efforts,” says the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources.

For the first time, the data behind these global maps have been centrally stored on GEM’s online platform open and accessible to a wide-range of users – from risk analysts, emergency planners and managers to researchers, modelers and the public at large.

Dr. Jayanta Guin, Executive Vice President and Chief Research Officer, AIR Worldwide - a GEM founding member said, “Our collaboration with GEM has spanned joint projects including data and knowledge sharing, which has informed AIR’s suite of earthquake models. The new global hazard and risk maps from GEM are a major milestone in developing a unified view of seismic risk.”

More than 100 delegates from around the world and across various sectors will gather for the presentation of the global maps on the 5th of December at the Chiesa dei Santi Giacomo e Filippo, Pavia, Italy.

“It has been almost a decade now since GEM started this initiative. The collaboration across public, private and academic sectors has been truly exceptional. On December 5th we are happy to unveil and share this achievement not just with our partners, but with the entire disaster risk reduction community as well,” John Schneider, GEM Secretary General.

The event will feature speakers from Natural Resources - Geoscience Canada, EAFIT University – Colombia, PusGen – Indonesia and Global Parametrics – United States covering topics from the impacts of the recent Lombok and Palu earthquakes and reducing insurance gap in developing countries, to national and urban earthquake resilience strategy development.

Join us via live streaming and social media. Email us at grm2018event@globalquakemodel.org if you have inquiries or visit the event page for more information.