Global Earthquake Model Foundation
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| Global Earthquake Model Foundation | |
|---|---|
| Name | Global Earthquake Model Foundation |
| Formation | 2006 |
| Type | Non-profit foundation |
| Headquarters | Pavia, Italy |
| Region served | Worldwide |
| Leader title | Executive Director |
Global Earthquake Model Foundation The Global Earthquake Model Foundation is an international non-profit organization focused on seismic hazard and risk modeling, resilience, and loss estimation. It develops open-source models, datasets, and tools to support decision-making for United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, World Bank Group, European Commission initiatives, and national agencies in seismic risk management. The Foundation convenes scientists, engineers, insurers, and policymakers from institutions such as United States Geological Survey, British Geological Survey, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, and Geological Survey of Japan.
Overview
The Foundation functions as a hub for earthquake science and risk assessment, integrating contributions from academic centers including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California, Berkeley, Imperial College London, and ETH Zurich. Its products address stakeholders ranging from Insurance Europe and Munich Re to urban planners in cities like Istanbul, Los Angeles, and Tokyo. The Foundation emphasizes interoperability with standards from International Organization for Standardization, engagement with initiatives such as Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and alignment with funding programs run by European Research Council and Asian Development Bank.
History and Development
Founded in 2006 with seed support from philanthropic entities including Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and Risk Management Solutions, the Foundation built on earlier collaborations among groups like Swiss Re and Earthquake Engineering Research Institute. Early milestones included pilot studies in Italy, Turkey, and Chile, and the release of prototype models developed with partners such as California Geological Survey and National Institute of Standards and Technology. Over successive phases the Foundation formalized governance, expanded its open-source platform, and coalesced scientific inputs from projects funded by European Union research programs and bilateral initiatives with Japan International Cooperation Agency.
Mission and Objectives
The Foundation’s mission is to advance transparent, collaborative earthquake risk modeling to reduce losses and inform resilience investments. Core objectives include developing global seismic hazard models alongside regional hazard maps for areas like the Mediterranean Sea, Himalayan Belt, and Andean Volcanic Belt; producing exposure and vulnerability datasets compatible with standards used by World Health Organization and United Nations Development Programme; and enabling financial risk transfer through tools used by insurers such as Swiss Re and Zurich Insurance Group.
Organizational Structure and Governance
Governance comprises a Board of Directors drawn from engineering, seismology, insurance, and public policy institutions, with advisory committees including representatives from International Association for Earthquake Engineering, American Geophysical Union, European Geosciences Union, and regional centers like Centro Nacional de Investigación para la Gestión de Desastres. Operational staff coordinate technical working groups in domains such as hazard, exposure, vulnerability, and risk. Funding streams include grants from foundations, contracts with development banks, and membership by corporate partners like AXA. The Foundation adheres to nonprofit practices observed by organizations such as Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation.
Programs and Projects
Major programs have included development of a Global Seismic Hazard Model, regional risk assessments for Nepal and Mexico City, and initiatives to map building portfolios in urban areas like Jakarta and Cairo. Collaborative projects link with research consortia such as Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery and networks like Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Community Platform to support scenario-based loss modeling used by International Finance Corporation for resilience lending. Pilot deployments have supported post-earthquake recovery planning in countries affected by events like the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and the 2010 Maule earthquake.
Methodologies and Tools
The Foundation develops open-source software and data standards that implement probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA), scenario-based loss estimation, and building fragility assessment, integrating inputs from laboratories such as Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center and modelling groups at Columbia University. Tools incorporate seismic catalogs from agencies including USGS and Japan Meteorological Agency, employ ground motion prediction equations from studies by Kramer, and use exposure data aligned with classifications from United Nations Human Settlements Programme. Outputs are delivered in interoperable formats to link with platforms like OpenQuake Engine and geographic information systems used by Esri.
Partnerships and Collaborations
The Foundation maintains formal collaborations with international organizations, academic institutions, insurers, and national agencies. Partners include United Nations Development Programme, World Bank, European Commission Joint Research Centre, and national geological surveys such as Geological Survey of Canada and Geological Survey of India. Collaborative networks extend to research programs supported by National Science Foundation, cooperative projects with Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, and private sector engagement with firms like RMS and CoreLogic.
Impact and Criticism
The Foundation’s work has influenced policy, investment decisions, and insurance practices by providing standardized, transparent models used in resilience planning and financial risk assessment. Beneficiaries include municipal governments, multilateral lenders, and reinsurance markets. Criticism has focused on model uncertainty, data gaps in low-income regions such as parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and Central Asia, and tensions over open-source licensing versus proprietary industry practices embodied by firms like AIR Worldwide. Ongoing responses involve capacity-building programs, regional data collection initiatives, and peer review processes engaging journals such as Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America and Earthquake Spectra.