News Strengthening Albania's Earthquake Preparedness: A Collaborative Effort By: Sep 29, 2023 Share Facebook LinkedIn In a bid to enhance earthquake resilience in Albania, the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) has partnered with the Institute of GeoSciences (IGEO) Albania to revamp the country's seismic hazard map. This project, funded by the Central European Initiative and supported by the Albanian Electricity Corporation, has two objectives. It aims to modernize Albania's seismic hazard map, a crucial step in updating the nation's building code to meet Eurocode 8 standards. This marks the first significant revision to Albania's building regulations since 1989. A more updated view of seismic hazard will help in promoting more cost-effective earthquake-resistant construction practices. Alongside improving seismic hazard assessments, the project also has a strong educational component. It's designed to enhance the capacity of IGEO with the knowledge and tools necessary to independently create, update, and refine seismic hazard models. The driving force behind this knowledge transfer is GEM's advanced methodology and software, particularly the OpenQuake Engine. This ensures Albania remains well-prepared to handle future seismic assessments and refine building codes in line with the latest research. In the first half of 2023, the GEM Hazard Team continued to support IGEO. They facilitated regular communication, offered vital guidance, and hosted two workshops for researchers from the Institute of Geosciences in Tirana. The initial workshop focused on leveraging the workflow package from the model building toolkit (MBTK) to construct seismic source models compatible with OpenQuake. In the second workshop, participants delved into the strong motion tools (SMT) integrated into the MBTK. These workshops not only served as training grounds but also as opportunities for working collaboratively and developing the model’s components jointly. IGEO and GEM will continue to work on developing this model for the rest of 2023. The kind support from the Central European Initiative (CEI - https://www.cei.int/ ) and Albanian Electricity Corporation (KESH - https://www.kesh.al/en/ ) is kindly acknowledged. See related story: https://www.globalquakemodel.org/GEMNews/albania-national-seismic-hazard-model-1stworkshop-jan-2023 No images found. GALLERY 1/0 VIDEO RELATED CONTENTS

Global Earthquake Maps Global Earthquake Hazard Map VIEWER PDF PNG CONTRIBUTORS DOCUMENTATION References TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION The Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Global Seismic Hazard Map (version 2018.1) depicts the geographic distribution of the Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, computed for reference rock conditions (shear wave velocity, V , of 760-800 m/s). The map was created by collating maps computed using national and regional probabilistic seismic hazard models developed by various institutions and projects, and by GEM Foundation scientists. The OpenQuake engine, an open-source seismic hazard and risk calculation software developed principally by the GEM Foundation, was used to calculate the hazard values. A smoothing methodology was applied to homogenise hazard values along the model borders. The map is based on a database of hazard models described using the OpenQuake engine data format (NRML); those models originally implemented in other software formats were converted into NRML. While translating these models, various checks were performed to test the compatibility between the original results and the new results computed using the OpenQuake engine. Overall the differences between the original and translated model results are small, notwithstanding some diversity in modelling methodologies implemented in different hazard modelling software. The hashed areas in the map (e.g. Greenland) are currently not covered by a hazard model. The map and the underlying database of models are a dynamic framework, capable to incorporate newly released open models. Due to possible model limitations, regions portrayed with low hazard may still experience potentially damaging earthquakes. The GEM Foundation plans to release future updates of this map on a regular basis as new information becomes available. Technical details on the compilation of the hazard and risk maps and the underlying models are available at http://www.globalquakemodel.org/gem. How to use and cite this work Please cite this work as: M. Pagani, J. Garcia-Pelaez, R. Gee, K. Johnson, V. Poggi, R. Styron, G. Weatherill, M. Simionato, D. Viganò, L. Danciu, D. Monelli (2018). Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Seismic Hazard Map (version 2018.1 - December 2018), DOI: 10.13117/GEM-GLOBAL-SEISMIC-HAZARD-MAP-2018.1
This work is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA): https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/. Acknowledgements This map is the result of a collaborative effort and extensively relies on the enthusiasm and commitment of various organisations and projects to openly share and collaborate. The creation of this map would not have been possible without the support provided by many public and private organisations during GEM’s second implementation phase (2014-2018). These key contributions are profoundly acknowledged. None of this would have been possible without the extensive support of all GEM Secretariat staff. The map was plotted using the Generic Mapping Tools software (Wessel et al., 2013). Legal statements This map was created for dissemination purposes. The information included in this map must not be used for the design of earthquake-resistant structures or to support any important decision involving human life, capital and movable and immovable properties. The values of seismic hazard in this map do not constitute an alternative nor do they replace building actions defined in national building codes. Readers seeking this information should consult national databases. This hazard map is the combination of results computed using 30 hazard input models covering the vast majority of landmass. These models represent the best information publicly accessible, and the GEM Foundation recognises their credibility and authoritativeness. This hazard map results from an integration process that is solely the responsibility of the GEM Foundation. https://www.globalquakemodel.org/hazard-technical-description MAJOR SPONSORS Verisk ARUP GEOSCIENCE AUSTRALIA CSSC NRCan EAFIT ETH ZURICH EUCENTRE FM GLOBAL GFZ GIROJ GNS SCIENCE HANNOVER RE MUNICH RE NTU ICRM NEPHILA NERC NIED NSET OYO PARTNER RE DPC SGC SWISS SER SWISS RE FOUNDATION SURAMERICANA TEM RCN USGS USAID WTW ZURICH INSURANCE

News An online OpenQuake Training course for beginners By: Jun 28, 2023 Share Facebook LinkedIn The FORCE project recently conducted an online OpenQuake Training course tailored for beginners seeking to enhance their understanding of earthquake risk assessment. The training, which spanned from March 20 to 27 and April 17 to 24, comprised modules that delved into various aspects of earthquake scenarios, such as exploring and preparing the necessary input files, as well as conducting probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) and event-based risk analysis using the OpenQuake engine. The course was crafted to accommodate participants from diverse backgrounds and expertise levels, aiming to provide a comprehensive overview of earthquake risk assessment and familiarize attendees with the fundamental features of the OpenQuake engine. Divided into four sessions, each lasting three hours, the training covered essential concepts related to earthquake hazard and risk assessment using the OpenQuake engine. To supplement the course material, Module I, titled OQ Introduction, was made available as a self-learning module on the training.openquake.org platform. This additional resource allowed participants to gain preliminary knowledge and ensure a solid foundation before delving into the subsequent modules. The OpenQuake Training provided an invaluable opportunity for beginners to acquire new skills and insights in the field of earthquake risk assessment. By equipping participants with the necessary tools and knowledge, the course aimed to empower them to contribute effectively to earthquake resilience and disaster mitigation efforts. No images found. GALLERY 1/0 VIDEO RELATED CONTENTS

In this workshop, we aim to combine presentations illustrating some of the main achievements of METIS, particularly on the hazard side, with expositions describing recent methodological advancements relevant to site-specific studies. November 14th and 15th, 2023 METIS workshop on site-specific seismic hazard assessment REGISTRATION Day 1 | 2 Recordings Background Site-specific hazard studies for critical facilities have been driving Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis (PSHA) since its inception. Throughout the years, hazard analyses at regional and national levels incorporat ed many procedural and methodological advancements initially used in detailed, single-site investigations. METIS (https://metis-h2020.eu/ ) is an EU Horizon 2020 project. One of its main goals is to develop and improve tools and methodologies employed in seismic safety assessments of nuclear reactors and translate this research into practice for industry use. Purpose In this workshop, we aim to combine presentations illustrating some of the main achievements of METIS, particularly on the hazard side, with expositions describing recent methodological advancements relevant to site-specific studies. speakers Norm Abrahamson University of California at Berkeley Marco Pagani GEM Anna Rood GEM Nevena Sipcic IUSS Pavia Paolo Bazzurro IUSS Pavia Marco Pilz GFZ Potsdam Stephane Baize IRSN Oona Scotti IRSN - BERSSIN Emmanuel Viallet Électricité de France Irmela Zentner Électricité de France Luis Alvarez Électricité de France Peter Stafford Imperial College London Adrian Rodriguez-Marek Virginia Tech Graeme Weatherill GFZ Potsdam Zeynep Gulerce International Atomic Energy Agency programme METIS Workshop on Site-Specific Seismic Hazard Assessment November 14th and 15th, 2023 Add to Calendar Speaker Topic Zeynep Gulerce IAEA initiatives related to seismic hazard analysis for nuclear installations Stephane Baize Probabilistic Fault Displacement Hazard Oona Scotti Fault modelling for site-specific applications Nevena Sipcic and Paolo Bazzurro Time-history selection for engineering applications Anna Rood Constraining Seismic Hazard using Precarious Geological Features Marco Pagani Recent improvements to the hazard component of the OpenQuake Engine Emmanuel Viallet Challenges in testing PSHA results Adrian Rodriguez-Marek Accounting for site effects in host-to-target adjustments in PSHA Norm Abrahamson Non-ergodic ground-motion modelling Luis Alvarez Stochastic 3 component ground motion simulation for hazard consistent record selection Peter Stafford Assessing host-region parameters for an adjustable ground-motion model through inversion Irmela Zentner and Guillaume Daniel (co-author) Vector-Valued Seismic Hazard and Risk Download Program registration Participation in the workshop is free and will be in person. However, we can only accept registrations up to a maximum of 80 participants. Interested participants must complete the registration by clicking the button below: Register Registration downloads Maps Presentations Recording Day 1 Recording Day 2 Recording venue The workshop will be hosted at “Centro Congressi Giovanni XXVII” (https://www.centrocongressibergamo.com/en/spazi/) in downtown Bergamo, Italy. Bergamo is a city located northeast of Milan, with good connections either by train or plane, due to its proximity to the airport. METIS or Methods and Tools Innovation for Seismic Risk Assessment is a project that is part of the Safety margins determination for design basis-exceeding external hazards program funded by the European Commission.

News News Briefs: January - March 2025 By: Apr 5, 2025 Mar 31, 2025 Share Facebook LinkedIn GEM’s Vitor Silva Receives Prestigious ASCE Award GEM’s Head of Risk Engineering, Vitor E. Silva, has been awarded the Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize by the ASCE. The prize recognises his significant contributions to regional seismic risk assessment through collaborations, open data/software, and machine learning. The award ceremony will be held on October 10 at the ASCE Annual Convention in Seattle. New Part-Time Regional Coordinator Joins GEM GEM has welcomed Jamal Dabbeek, former GEM PhD student, as a new part-time collaborator. As the Arab States Regional Coordinator, Jamal will focus on seeking funding and collaboration opportunities, promoting GEM’s software and data, engaging the community in developing the North Africa seismic hazard model, and organising a GEM/OpenQuake training course in Arabic. GEM Secretary General Presents at Aon IF EMEA Team Meeting Helen Crowley, GEM’s Secretary General, delivered a presentation at the Impact Forecasting UK & EMEA Team Meeting in Prague. The session highlighted the fruitful three-year partnership between Aon IF and GEM and explored future areas of collaboration, such as exposure modelling and forecasting. The meeting provided an opportunity to strengthen ties and discuss ongoing partnership initiatives. GEM Reflects on a Milestone Year: 2024 Before moving forward into 2025, the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation looks back at 2024 - a year of significant achievements, innovations, and strategic collaborations enhancing global earthquake resilience. Discover the key moments and milestones from 2024 in GEM’s Year in Review. Read more: https://www.globalquakemodel.org/GEMNews/gem-2024-year-in-review GEM Experts Lead PSHA Training at METIS Online Course GEM’s Manuela Villani and Kirsty Bayliss led sessions on probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) as part of the EURATOM METIS online training. The course, coordinated by SSTC NRS and RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, focused on advancing seismic safety assessments for nuclear reactors in Europe. Participants explored the application of OpenQuake and METIS tools in seismic hazard modelling. GEM Celebrates 16 Years of Advancing Earthquake Risk Science The Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation marks 16 years of pioneering open, science-based tools and data to reduce earthquake risk worldwide. Founded on a vision of global resilience, GEM continues to shape policies and collaborations through cutting-edge seismic hazard and risk models. Explore GEM’s journey and future initiatives. Learn more: GEM’s Work – products , projects , and vision to 2030 GEM Develops Embodied Carbon Service with BED (Build Environment Data) GEM has developed a new Embodied Carbon service under the auspices of the Built Environment Data (BED) initiative. The service provides critical data on the embodied carbon linked to seismic damage repair and replacement and is supported by the EPOS-ON project . GEM aims to expand the service to global coverage in the future. Explore the European service: https://maps.eu-risk.eucentre.it/map/european-seismic-embodied-carbon-viewer/#4/52.48/7.34 GEM’s FORCE Project Concludes The FORCE (Forecasting and Communicating Earthquake Hazard and Risk) project has ended due to funding cuts and restructuring at USAID. Funded by USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, FORCE aimed to strengthen seismic risk assessment in El Salvador, Bhutan, Nepal, and the Southwest Pacific. GEM remains committed to advancing earthquake resilience and is actively seeking new funding opportunities. (see LinkedIn message) Learn more: https://www.globalquakemodel.org/proj/force GEM Launches PAPERS Project The Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation has launched the PAPERS project (Piattaforma Analisi Pericolosità E Rischio Sismico), an initiative aimed at developing a new WebGIS platform for scenario hazard and risk assessment in Italy. The project has been funded as one of the cascade grants launched by the High-Performance Computing, Big Data e Quantum Computing Research Centre, one of the five National Centres established by the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), under Spoke 5 - Environment and Natural Disasters . The first training workshop of the project related to the use of the OpenQuake engine was successfully conducted online on April 1st, 2025, marking the first in a series of planned training events. This first workshop also served for exploring potential third-party contributions to models that could be integrated into the platform. Learn more: PAPERS webpage - https://www.globalquakemodel.org/proj/papers-gem GEM Joins RENOMIZE Project to Promote Sustainable Renovation GEM has joined the EU-funded RENOMIZE project, which aims to revolutionise renovation practices through automation and optimisation. Supported by CINEA, the project aims to reduce costs and environmental impact by streamlining the renovation process with cutting-edge technologies. GEM’s Physical Vulnerability Lead, Al Mouayed Bellah Nafeh, participated in the kickoff meeting in Klagenfurt, Austria, sharing insights on integrating risk-informed approaches into sustainable renovation. Testing will take place in five countries: Switzerland, Spain, Estonia, France, and Belgium. Learn more: RENOMIZE Project - https://www.globalquakemodel.org/proj/renomize GEM Celebrates UN Women’s Day and Women and Girls in Science In celebration of International Women’s Day and the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, GEM reaffirmed its commitment to gender equality in STEM. Guided by GEM’s Gender Equality Strategy, the foundation strives for inclusivity and equal opportunities, highlighted by a 0% gender pay gap among its scientific staff in 2024. GEM continues to promote diversity through awareness, training, and equitable career growth. Learn more: GEM’s Gender Equality Plan - https://www.globalquakemodel.org/gempublications/gem-foundation-gender-equality-plan No images found. GALLERY 1/0 VIDEO RELATED CONTENTS

Post Event List PURPOSE The purpose of this page is to provide GEM website visitors, researchers, loss modellers, and emergency and disaster risk reduction professionals with specific downloadable information related to red alert events based on USGS PAGER alerts. GEM promotes the sharing of seismic hazard and risk information with a wide range of stakeholders to enhance understanding of damaging earthquake events. This initiative aims not only to give an overview of the models, data and publications available in areas recently impacted by earthquakes, but also hopes to serve as a resource that can inform future risk reduction strategies. The information provided is intended solely for situational awareness purposes and is not aimed towards driving an official emergency response. Please contact your local authorities for further assistance related to official emergency response services and support. 28th July 2026 M6.8 Japan On 28 July 2026 at 16:27:15 JST (07:27:15 UTC), an earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture in southern Japan with a magnitude of Mw 6.8 at a depth of 10 km. The earthquake was caused by strike‑slip faulting. The USGS focal mechanism solution suggests coseismic slip occurred on either on a northwest-trending left‑lateral fault or northeast-trending right‑lateral fault. (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Kumamoto_earthquake). USGS PAGER Alert https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000tgb9/pager Related GEM Products Name Description Global Seismic Hazard Map First seismic hazard map to depict seismic hazard globally, including the oceans East Asia Exposure Repository with the inventory of residential, commercial and industrial buildings in East Asia Active Faults Database A repository with global homogenised characteristics of active faults Japan Hazard OpenQuake engine input model to perform hazard calculations for Japan Global Seismic Risk Map Global earthquake risk, mapped with the latest science No content. Related GEM Publications Understanding seismic risk in Santiago de Cali (Colombia) for its application in risk management Earthquake-induced liquefaction and landslides in Cali, Colombia Modelling the Residential Building Inventory in South America for Seismic Risk Assessment Tipologías constructivas en Quito, Cali and Santiago de los Caballeros Seismic risk assessment for the residential buildings of the three major cities in Colombia: Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali Executive summary Urban seismic risk assessment for the cities of Quito, Cali and Santiago de los Caballeros Scenario selection for representative earthquakes in Quito, Cali and Santiago de los Caballeros Assessment of earthquake damage considering the characteristics of past events in South America Evaluación de Riesgo Sísmico para Santiago de Cali Model of seismic design regulations and lateral force coefficients for buildings in South America Exploring the seismic risk of the unreinforced masonry building stock in Antioquia, Colombia Modelling the Residential Building Inventory in South America for Seismic Risk Assessment No content. Other Related Products GEM Vulnerability Model for Colombia GEM's country risk profile for Colombia GEM's Country Risk Profile for Venezuela GEM Vulnerability Model for Venezuela GEM Exposure Model for Venezuela GEM's country risk profile for Japan GEM Exposure Model for Japan GEM Vulnerability Model for Japan GEM's country risk profile for Afghanistan GEM vulnerability model for Afghanistan GEM exposure model for Afghanistan (admin 1) Other Related Publications South America Risk Assessment (SARA) Project GEM's PSHA input model documentation for Middle East 1234 Yang et al. (2023) Probabilistic seismic hazard assessments for Myanmar and its metropolitan areas. Geoscience Letters, 10(1), 48 Tun et al. (2017) The Sagaing Fault, Myanmar. In A. J. Barber, K. Zaw, & M. J. Crow (Eds.), Myanmar: Geology, Resources and Tectonics (Vol. 48, p. 0). The Geological Society of London GEM's PSHA input model documentation for SouthEast Asia GEM's PSHA input model documentation for China GEM's PSHA input model documentation for China DISCLAIMER The information and data provided on this page are for informational purposes only. The Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation makes no warranties, expressed or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the data. Users are responsible for their own interpretation and use of the information. GEM shall not be liable for any loss, damage, or injury arising from the use of, or reliance on, the information provided on this page. By downloading or utilising the data, users acknowledge and agree to these terms. The information presented on this page is provided by different organisations and governed by different licenses, please check the individual license before use. CONTACT US

OpenQuake engine input model to perform hazard calculations for Türkiye Products Türkiye Hazard OpenQuake engine input model to perform hazard calculations for Türkiye Share Facebook LinkedIn Description The v2026 hazard model for Türkiye has been developed by GEM in parallel with the activities carried out in the context of the update of the Middle East Model. How to cite this work R. Styron, K. Bayliss, B. Güryuva, O. Kale, A.Sandıkkaya, C. Brooks (2026). PSHA input model documentation for Türkiye (TUR-2026.0.0). GEM Foundation. Available Versions The mdoel is available for direct download under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license. Users interested in this version can click the "Open Version Download" button in the right panel to access the information. If your use case does not comply with the license terms, a license can be requested by clicking on the "License Request", where a specific agreement will be provided, depending on the use case. License information The model can be requested by clicking on the "License Request", where a specific license will be provided, depending on the use case. Previous versions of this model are listed in the table at the bottom of this page. Facebook LinkedIn Share Latest Version v2026.0.0 License Custom license Available resources License Request text Map View Search Popup title Close Country/Region Available Resources Afghanistan Exposure Africa Exposure Alaska Exposure Country/Region Available Resources Afghanistan Vulnerability Africa Vulnerability Alaska Vulnerability Country/Region Resource Url Afghanistan Risk Profile Africa Risk Profile Alaska Risk Profile Search Found Country/Region Resource Url Afghanistan Exposure Africa Exposure Alaska Exposure Preview Preview is not available. Search Found Country/Region Resource Url Afghanistan Vulnerability Africa Vulnerability Alaska Vulnerability Preview Preview is not available. Search Found Country/Region Resource Url Afghanistan Risk Profile Africa Risk Profile Alaska Risk Profile Preview Preview is not available. Related products Global Liquefaction Hazard Global Exposure Model Global Vulnerability Model Global Seismic Embodied Carbon Risk Global Seismic Risk Map Country-Territory Seismic Risk Profiles Model Builder's Toolkit (oq-mbtk) Global Seismic Hazard Map Related publications For downloading or accessing detailed product information like PNG/PDF maps, datasets, license request, shapefiles and more, please switch to a desktop or laptop computer. Thank you for your understanding.

Publications Global Exposure Database for Multi-Hazard Risk Analysis-Multi-hazard Exposure Taxonomy Share Facebook LinkedIn Download 2018 | Report A consortium comprised by the Global Earthquake Model Foundation, ImageCat Inc. and the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team has been chosen by the Global Facility for Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery to develop an open exposure database for multi-hazard risk assessment, as part of the Challenge Funds supported by the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom. This database is capable of storing different assets, while considering relevant attributes for six natural hazards: earthquakes, floods, volcanoes, strong winds, tsunamis and drought. The development of an open database to characterize the built-up environment at a global scale requires a uniform methodology to classify the elements exposed to the natural hazards. This deliverable describes a comprehensive multi-hazard GED4ALL taxonomy capable of classifying the building stock, lifelines, crops, livestock, forestry and socio-economic data. This taxonomy will be applied to the country of Tanzania to develop an exposure model at the national scale, and to the city level of Dar Es Salaam to demonstrate how an exposure dataset at a building-by-building resolution can be created. Moreover, this process will be demonstrated for five countries around Tanzania (Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi and Mozambique).

News Uganda launches SERENE project with GEM to strengthen seismic safety and disaster resilience By: Apr 24, 2026 Apr 16, 2026 Share Facebook LinkedIn Uganda officially launched the SERENE Project on April 16, 2026 in Kampala, marking the start of a partnership between the National Building Review Board (NBRB) and the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation aimed at strengthening the country’s scientific basis for seismic safety, building standards and disaster preparedness. The launch event, held at the Mestil Hotel, brought together the Minister of Works and Transport, Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, NBRB Executive Secretary, Eng. Flavia Gutto Bwire, technical experts and partner institutions. SERENE, which stands for Scientific Evidence for Risk Engineering, Norms and Education , is designed to support Uganda’s resilience through science, regulation and risk-informed planning. In remarks highlighted around the launch, Helen Crowley, GEM’s Secretary General, said the project will support the development of a national seismic hazard map, improved exposure models, and Uganda’s first national seismic risk map in terms of economic loss. Those outputs are intended to inform future updates to engineering practice, physical development planning and disaster preparedness policy. The project comes at a time when Uganda is facing rapid urbanisation, rising investment in the built environment and continuing concerns about unsafe and non-compliant structures. At the launch, Gen. Katumba said the initiative would support the government’s effort to restore order in the construction sector and protect lives. “We are seeing a lot of developments coming up, but many are not compliant with the law,” he said, adding that infrastructure growth must be guided by proper planning, approved designs and adherence to building codes. Engr. Bwire similarly framed the project as a move toward prevention and better-informed action. “We continue to register buildings that are constructed without approvals or without following the required standards,” she said. “SERENE will give us the scientific evidence to better understand these risks and take informed action.” She added: “This is about ensuring that what we build today does not become a disaster tomorrow.” From GEM’s perspective, the initiative is significant not only for its technical scope, but also because it marks the foundation’s first national-level partnership in Sub-Saharan Africa. Helen described the event as more than a project launch, calling it “the start of a long-term effort to strengthen the evidence, institutions and practice needed for safer development in Uganda.” She also stressed that the work will combine global experience and tools with Ugandan institutions and expertise. GEM’s contribution to the launch also extended beyond the opening session. Catalina Yepes Estrada, GEM’s Exposure Development Lead, took part in a partner reflection and panel discussion on “The State of Hazard Vulnerability in Uganda,” reinforcing the project’s emphasis on linking scientific expertise with national dialogue on risk, resilience and safer development. The partnership also reflects a deepening institutional relationship between the two organisations, with NBRB having joined GEM’s Governing Board in late 2025 . Related links and sources: https://nbrb.go.ug/gem-foundation-commits-to-long-term-partnership-as-serene-project-launches-in-uganda/ https://nbrb.go.ug/nbrb-executive-secretary-calls-for-shift-from-disaster-response-to-prevention-at-serene-launch/ https://nbrb.go.ug/nbrb-gem-foundation-launch-serene-project-to-strengthen-ugandas-disaster-resilience/ https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/govt-italian-agency-launch-project-to-curb-il-NV_231913_042026 No images found. GALLERY 4F8A9756.JPG 4F8A9715.JPG 4F8A9763.JPG 4F8A9756.JPG 1/19 VIDEO RELATED CONTENTS

Global Earthquake Maps Global Earthquake Social Vulnerability Map VIEWER PDF PNG CONTRIBUTORS DOCUMENTATION References Briguglio, L., Cordina, G., Farrugia, N. & Vella, S. 2009. Economic Vulnerability and Resilience: Concepts and Measurements. Oxford Development Studies, 37:3, 229-247, DOI: 10.1080/13600810903089893. Cutter, S. L., J. T. Mitchell, and M. S. Scott. 2000. Revealing the Vulnerability of People and Place: A Case Study of Georgetown County, South Carolina. Annals of the Association of American Geographers 90(4): 713-737. Cutter, S. L., B. J. Boruff, and W. L. Shirley. 2003. Social Vulnerability to Environmental Hazards. Social Science Quarterly 84 (2): 242-261. National Research Council. 2006. Facing Hazards and Disasters: Understanding Human Dimensions, Joseph Henry Press, Washington, D.C. Nersesian, W. 1988. Infant Mortality in Socially Vulnerable Populations. Ann. Rev. Public Health 9:361-377. Tierney, K. J., M. K. Lindell, and R. W. Perry. 2001. Facing the Unexpected: Disaster Preparedness and Response in the United States. Washington, D.C.: Joseph Henry Press. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION The Global Social Vulnerability Map, is a composite index that was developed to measure characteristics or qualities of social systems that create the potential for loss or harm. Here, the social vulnerability index helps to explain why some countries will experience adverse impacts from earthquakes differentially where the linking of social capacities with demographic attributes suggests that communities with higher percentages of age dependent populations, homeless, disabled, under-educated, and foreign migrants are likely to exhibit higher social vulnerability than communities lacking these characteristics. Other relevant factors that affect the social vulnerability of populations include population density, slum populations, and international tourists. Criteria for indicator selection To choose indicators contextually exclusive for use in each map, the starting point was an exhaustive review of the literature on earthquake social vulnerability and resilience. For a variable to be considered appropriate and selected, three equally important criteria were met: - variables were justified based on the literature regarding its relevance to one or more of the indices. - variables needed to be of consistent quality and freely available from sources such as the United Nations and the World Bank; and - variables must be scalable or available at various levels of geography to promote sub-country level analyses. This procedure resulted in a ‘wish list’ of approximately 300 variables of which 78 were available and fit for use based on the three criteria. Process for indicator selection For variables to be allocated to an index, a two-tiered validation procedure was utilized. For the first tier, variables were assigned to each of the respective indices based on how each variable was cited within the literature, i.e., as being part of an index of social vulnerability, economic vulnerability, or recovery/resilience. For the second tier, machine learning and a multivariate ordinal logistic regression modelling procedure was used for external validation. Here, focus was placed on the statistical association between the socio-economic vulnerability indicators and the adverse impacts from historical earthquakes on a country-by country-basis. The Global Significant Earthquake Database provided the external validation metrics that were used as dependent variables in the statistical analysis. To include both severe and moderate earthquakes within the dependent variables, adverse impact data was collected from damaging earthquake events that conformed to at least one of five criteria: 1) caused deaths, 2) caused moderate damage (approximately $1 million USD or more), 3) had a magnitude 7.5 or greater 4) had a Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) X or greater, or 5) generated a tsunami. This database was chosen because it considers low magnitude earthquakes that were damaging (e.g., MW >=2.5 & MW<=5.5) and contains socio-economic data such as the total number of fatalities, injuries, houses damaged or destroyed, and dollar loss estimates in $USD. Countries not demonstrating at least a minimal earthquake risk, i.e., seismicity <0.05 PGA (Pagani et al. 2018) and <$10,000 USD in predicted average annual losses (Silva et al. 2018) were eliminated from the analyses so as not to include countries with minimal to no earthquake risk. A total study area consists of 136 countries. The Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation The Global Socio-Economic Vulnerability Maps 2020 is a product of the GEM Foundation’s collaborative work with the Department of Geography at the University of Connecticut, USA. GEM is a non-profit foundation in Pavia, Italy funded through a public-private partnership with a vision to create a world that is resilient to earthquakes. Formed in 2009 through the initiative of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Global Science Forum in 2006, GEM participants represent national research and disaster management institutions; private sector companies mainly in insurance, risk financing and engineering; and academic and international organizations. GEM’s OpenQuake Platform website (platform.openquake.org) provides access to all of the data, models, tools and software behind the maps. GEM’s open-source OpenQuake engine enables probabilistic hazard and risk calculations worldwide and at all scales, from global down to regional, national, local, and site-specific applications in a single software package. GEM supports the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) goals by contributing openly accessible products for hazard and risk assessment and capacity development through risk reduction projects. GEM also serves as a baseline or exemplar for the development of a broader multi-hazard framework for risk assessment in support of a holistic and comprehensive approach to disaster risk reduction. Technical details on the development and compilation of the socio-economic vulnerability maps, underlying models and the list of contributors can be found at: https://www.globalquakemodel.org/svrmaps/Social-Vulnerability-Index-Technical-Description. How to use and cite this work Please cite this work as: C Burton, M. Toquica (September 2020). Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Social Vulnerability Map (version 2020.1) DOI: https://doi.org/10.13117/gem-social-vulnerability-map. This work is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA). Acknowledgements This map is the result of a collaborative effort and extensively relies on the enthusiasm and commitment of various organisations to openly share and collaborate. The creation of this map would not have been possible without the support provided by several public and private organisations during GEM’s second and third working programmes, 2014-2018 and 2019-2021 respectively. None of this would have been possible without the extensive support of all GEM Secretariat staff. These key contributions are profoundly acknowledged. A complete list of the contributors can be found at: www. globalquakemodel.org/global-social-vulnerability. Legal statements This map is an informational product created by the GEM Foundation for public dissemination purposes. The information included in this map must not be used for the design of seismic socio-economic policies or to support any important decisions involving human life, capital and movable and immovable properties. The values of social vulnerability and risk values used in this map do not constitute an alternative nor do they replace any national government policy or actions defined in national codes or earthquake risk estimates derived nationally. Readers seeking this information should contact the national authorities tasked with socio economic and risk assessment. The socio-economic vulnerability maps are based on the results of an integration process that is solely the responsibility of the GEM Foundation. Contact GEM (Global Earthquake Model) Foundation Via Ferrata, 1 - 27100, Pavia, Italy info@globalquakemodel.org . More information available at: www. globalquakemodel.org/global-social-vulnerability MAJOR SPONSORS Verisk ARUP GEOSCIENCE AUSTRALIA CSSC NRCan EAFIT ETH ZURICH EUCENTRE FM GLOBAL GFZ GIROJ GNS SCIENCE HANNOVER RE MUNICH RE NTU ICRM NEPHILA NERC NIED NSET OYO PARTNER RE DPC SGC SWISS SER SWISS RE FOUNDATION SURAMERICANA TEM RCN USGS USAID WTW ZURICH INSURANCE