Earthquake Risk Management Systems and Their Applications for Building Seismic-Resilient Communities

Abstract

Earthquake loss assessment has become an essential concept in earthquake engineering since it describes the probability of losses from a seismic hazard. In order to develop a loss assessment system for a particular area, the earthquake hazard is combined with buildings and infrastructure characteristics along with the vulnerability of the exposed inventories through a visualization platform. Unlike hazard, vulnerability can be effectively reduced, for instance by retrofit measures. Earthquake risk management has thus emerged as a concept for both the loss assessment and mitigation actions so that predicted losses can be reduced to an acceptable level by selecting and implementing suitable mitigation actions. Another broad concept for seismic resilience has also been established to account for not only losses and mitigation actions but also the preparedness and recovery process with the aim of having a functional community if the event exceeded expectations. The earthquake risk management is thus closely related to the seismic resilience concept that involves different mitigation actions for reducing seismic loses, including rapid recovery. This chapter discusses different earthquake risk management frameworks, driving engines and platforms. It presents case studies and applications of the main components of the earthquake risk management process with an emphasize on a seismically active and highly populated area in the UAE that is considered as a case study because of its vulnerability to different earthquake scenarios. The discussion shows the urgent need for a global risk management system to assist in formulating effective risk reduction policies in different regions of the world. A multi-disciplinary course that prepares students to address the complex problems related to the earthquake risk management is also highlighted.