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The Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation held a three-day workshop in Casablanca, Morocco, from 15 to 17 October 2025, marking the start of work on the development of a national seismic hazard and risk model for the country. The workshop brought together representatives from the Fonds de Solidarité contre les Événements Catastrophiques (FSEC), Atlantic Re and members of the Moroccan scientific community.

The activity builds on the partnership announced earlier this year, which saw FSEC and Atlantic Re become the first paying Public and Private Sponsors respectively from Africa to join GEM. The collaboration aims to support the development of science-based seismic risk information to inform planning, preparedness and risk management in Morocco.

Discussions during the workshop focused on the current state of seismic research in the country, including the identification of data gaps, technical priorities and opportunities for collaboration. GEM staff contributed across plenary and working sessions, including Helen Crowley, GEM Secretary General; Marco Pagani, Head of Seismic Hazards; Vitor Silva, Head of Risk Engineering; Al Mouayed Bellah Nafeh, Physical Vulnerability Lead; and Marco Baiguera, Exposure Analyst. Sessions covered key components of seismic risk assessment, including source modelling, ground motion, and exposure and vulnerability.

The final day of the workshop featured hands-on training on the OpenQuake Engine, GEM’s open-source software for seismic hazard and risk modelling. Participants were introduced to modelling workflows and tools that support transparent and reproducible risk analysis, with a focus on their application in a national context.

The workshop represents an initial step in a longer-term collaboration aimed at strengthening Morocco’s capacity to assess and manage seismic risk, while reinforcing GEM’s commitment to supporting public sector partners through open science and collaborative model development.

Further information on the partnership is available in GEM’s July announcement on the sponsorship by FSEC and Atlantic Re.

https://www.globalquakemodel.org/GEMNews/gem-fsec-atlantic-sponsorship-africa

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