Global Earthquake Model (GEM)
The GEM Foundation is a non-profit, public-private partnership that drives a global collaborative effort to develop scientific and high-quality resources for transparent assessment of earthquake risk and to facilitate their application for risk management around the globe.
Description
GEM was formed in 2009 as a non-profit foundation in Pavia, Italy, funded through a public-private sponsorship with the vision to create a world that is resilient to earthquakes. GEM’s mission is to become one of the world’s most complete sources of risk resources and a globally accepted standard for seismic risk assessment; and to ensure that its products are applied in the risk management of earthquakes and other natural hazards worldwide.
GEM builds capacity to assess and manage risk through open, transparent and collaborative seismic risk assessment at local, national, regional and global scales. Using state-of-the-art tools, GEM is committed to share and advocate open, reliable earthquake risk information, as well as tools and datasets (e.g., global exposure) to support sound disaster risk-reduction planning for natural hazards globally. We work under four core principles: Openness, Collaboration, Credibility, and Public Good.
GEM has successfully implemented hazard and risk assessment projects with regional, national and local collaborators covering more than 150 countries in the following areas: Europe, Middle East, South America, Central America, North America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Australia and the Pacific. GEM strives to deliver lasting effects on the ground in the form of reduced earthquake risk and improved earthquake risk management at local, provincial and national levels. GEM believes that high quality, open, transparent and accessible risk tools and models combined with collaborative capacity development is key to achieving a world that is resilient to earthquakes and other natural hazards, including the impact of climate change.
GEM will continue to focus on key activities such as improving the OpenQuake engine and its supporting tools and databases, and strengthening our capacity building and user support program. GEM will also extend its program of work to address more complex risk issues, especially systemic and cascading risk. Furthermore, GEM will collaborate more extensively with other hazard communities to make OpenQuake tools, models and datasets applicable to multi-hazard risk assessment, with particular focus on hazards that are exacerbated by climate change.
Did the Sendai Framework change or contribute to changes in your activities/organization? If so, how?
The Sendai Framework created a shift from managing disasters to managing risks. To help this process, it promotes “dialogue and cooperation among scientific and technological communities, other relevant stakeholders and policymakers in order to facilitate a science policy interface for effective decision-making in disaster risk management.” Furthermore, it calls to focus on the disaster risk factors and scenarios, including emerging disaster risks, in the medium and long term; to increase research for regional, national and local application; and to support action by local communities and authorities. GEM is aligned with and contributes to the Sendai Framework.
What led you to make this commitment/initiative?
What was your position before making this Voluntary Commitment / prior to the Sendai Framework?
At GEM, we are motivated to reduce earthquake risk and improve earthquake risk management especially in areas that are underserved, exposed and vulnerable to seismic risk. The contents of the Sendai Framework have strengthened the importance of our work.
To sustain our efforts, GEM has trained people from more than 100 countries advancing earthquake science and engineering, and knowledge-sharing initiatives putting local experts at the forefront of regional and national initiatives in seismic hazard and risk assessments. GEM works in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific sharing knowledge, data and best practices to increase understanding of risk through social media and online channels to bring together international and local stakeholders.
Deliverables and Progress report
Deliverables
Deliverables are the end-products of the initiative/commitment, which can include issuance of publications or knowledge products, outcomes of workshops, training programs, videos, links, photographs, etc.
Papers, articles and reports are released as part of GEM's advancing science & knowledge-sharing initiatives. Selected reports and other materials produced by the international consortia on global projects, working groups and regional collaborations can also be found in the link below.
To sustain our efforts, GEM has trained people from more than 100 countries advancing earthquake science and engineering, and knowledge-sharing initiatives putting local experts at the forefront of regional and national initiatives in seismic hazard and risk assessments.
All of GEM’s products are freely available for public, non-commercial use, but with different license restrictions. Open and free distribution of data, models and tools will continue to be at the core of GEM’s work, and will further strengthen its efforts to broaden their availability and accessibility.
The development of the Global Earthquake Hazard and Risk Model was a key priority for GEM under its 2014-2018 Work Program. The objective is to collaboratively develop a complete set of earthquake data and models, and to deliver a comprehensive global assessment of earthquake risk.
We recently included an experimental map combining COVID-19 statistics with GEM Seismic Risk.
OpenQuake (OQ) - comprised of the engine, platform and tools - caters to a variety of users, from modellers and researchers to emergency planners - OpenQuake is used for a wide range of purposes for disaster risk reduction and management.
A collection of news articles to keep our stakeholders informed and up to date with the latest developments from GEM.
TOPIQS is GEM's bi-monthly newsletter which features the latest from GEM, expert opinions and a round up of earthquake risk and related issues in DRR policy and practice, insurance and financial applications, innovations in earthquake engineering, hazard and risk assessment, and others.
Papers, articles and reports are released as part of GEM's advancing science & knowledge-sharing initiatives. Selected reports and other materials produced by the international consortia on global projects, working groups and regional collaborations can also be found in the link below.
Porgress report
In the past six months, GEM has contributed substantially to the understanding of earthquake risk at the urban/city levels through its TREQ project, and at the global level through its public-private partnership, global collaboration network and development of open, global databases and software for application to earthquake and multi-hazard risk assessment.
Despite the ongoing pandemic, the first half of 2022 proved to be a busy period for GEM, delivering on various fronts: capacity development; earthquake hazard and risk modelling; OpenQuake software development; distribution of GEM open products for public good and commercial purposes; scientific publications; and participation in online events to contribute to the discourse on earthquake science and risk reduction.
The first semester was capped with GEM’s hybrid Governing Board meeting welcoming Allianz and RMS as new sponsors and launching of GEM Strategic Plan and Roadmap to 2030.
Training
Trained 500+ risk management practitioners at different levels from 60+ countries on technical and risk awareness topics.
Hazard & risk assessment
The TREQ project developed earthquake models for Quito (Ecuador), Cali (Colombia), and Santiago de los Caballeros (Dominican Republic) including risk profiles in close collaboration with local partners.
OpenQuake software
GEM released versions 3.13 and 3.14 including a new online user’s manual.
Public outreach
Newsletters serve as GEM’s report to the public, and two were released for the period, gaining 373 new subscribers, and a combined 645 new social media followers.
Publications
GEM published a total of 11 publications covering topics such as seismic hazard and risk assessment, exposure, vulnerability, and technical manuals.
Hazard & risk products
GEM launched several products such as Atlas 1.0 platform; updated Africa Exposure Model; China Earthquake Model; and contributed to the latest European hazard and risk maps.
Organizations and focal points
Implementing Organization(s)
Focal points
If a VC's contact information has been hidden, the SFVC team can forward a message.Partners
- Suramericana
- Nasdaq Risk Modelling Service
- Aon Impact Forecasting
- The Institution of Structural Engineers
- safehub
- PartnerRe
- Global Parametrics
- Taiwan Earthquake Model
- Asian and Pacific Centre for the Development of Disaster Information Management
- Guy Carpenter
- One Concern
- ImageCat
- Hannover Re Group
- Servicio Geológico Colombiano
- Institute of Catastrophe Risk Management, Nanyang Technological University
- Willis Towers Watson
- AXA Group
- National Environment Research Council
- AIR Worldwide
- Integrated Research on Disaster Risk
- Natural Resources Canada
- Eucentre Foundation
- GNS Science
- FM Global
- California Seismic Safety Commission
- United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
- United States Geological Survey (USGS)
- Münchener Rückversicherungs-Gesellschaft (Munich Re)
- United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
- Swiss Reinsurance Company (Swiss Re)
- Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
- National Society for Earthquake Technology - Nepal
- International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth’s Interior
- International Association for Earthquake Engineering
- Geoscience Australia
- Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
- National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
