Global Earthquake Model Backs Asia-Pacific Hazard Scheme

The Global Earthquake Model (GEM) is throwing its support behind a new accord among Asia-Pacific scientists that endorses natural hazard data sharing for the disaster prone region.

“We are fully supportive of the accord and look forward to increased collaboration with the consortium that is currently being formed, as well all participants in general,” a GEM statement issued Thursday said.

GEM — which is pushing for the development of a global public/private open catastrophe model for earthquake risks — added that the regional plan doesn’t conflict with its own mandate.

“Local collaboration is key to GEM, for feedback on global approaches and databases, and for collaborative development of regional models,” the group said in a statement.

A group of scientists from the region developed the Asia-Pacific Region Global Earthquake and Volcanic Eruption Risk Management (G-EVER1) accord in February of 2012.

The agreement calls for researchers in natural hazards to adopt several open model and data practices, including data interchange standards for geohazard institutes and the creation of trans-border hazard maps built using common data sets.

“We believe that increased international collaboration between geohazard institutes and organizations in the Asia-Pacific can advance the science of natural hazards and contribute to reduction of disaster risks from earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions,” the accord states.

The Asia-Pacific region has been the hub of natural hazards and economic and insured losses in 2011.The Japan earthquake and tsunami, and the New Zealand earthquakes, became the top two costliest insured events in history, according to Aon Benfield.

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