GFZ German research centre for geo sciences

Reducing the risk of earthquake related hazards - workshop opening

27.10.2014|Almaty: The international Workshop „Regional Cooperation in Seismology and Earthquake Engineering in South and Central Asia” opened in Almaty, Kazakhstan - In the presence of the German Ambassador, Dr. Guido Herz, and the US Consul General, Theresa Grencik.

27.10.2014|Almaty: The international Workshop „Regional Cooperation in Seismology and Earthquake Engineering in South and Central Asia” opened in Almaty, Kazakhstan - In the presence of the German Ambassador, Dr. Guido Herz, and the US Consul General, Theresa Grencik.

The overall goal of the meeting is to foster the scientific and technological co-operation with Central and South Asia in the field of seismology and earthquake hazard assessment to reduce the risk of earthquake related hazards by concerted technology and knowledge transfer to these countries. The week-long conference is coordinated by the GFZ, the US Geological Survey, the Institute of Seismology in Kazakhstan, the UNESCO and the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC), and is funded by GFZ, USGS and the US Department of State. On site partner is the Institute for Seismology. More than 80 scientists and engineers from 17 countries are participating in this conference that follows a series of workshops and training courses on this topic co-organized by the GFZ, UNESCO and USGS. The first event of this type was held in Kathmandu in 2013.

The GFZ has been active in Central Asia for several years. As a joint venture together with the Government of Kyrgystan, the GFZ has been operating the Central Asian Institute for Advanced Geosciences CAIAG in Bishkek since 2004. Just recently, on 8 September 2014, the 10 years anniversary of CAIAG was celebrated in Bishkek with a festive event. Since the foundation of CAIAG, the GFZ has initiated several bi- and multinational activities in the region. A key undertaking is the EMCA-Project (EMCA:  Earthquake Model Central Asia (EMCA) coordinated by GFZ. In particular the EMCA project focuses on the probabilistic seismic hazard and risk assessment for the whole central Asian region and forms the basis for a standardized micro zonation of urban areas. “After having successfully implemented and tested the system in Bishkek, we are now beginning with its application in Almaty, in co-operation with the Institute of Seismology”, says Stefano Parolai, Head of the GFZ Centre for Early Warning Systems and one of the initiators of this conference.

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