Regional RiskScape
2008 - 2015
Funder: Foundation for Research, Science and Technology
Contact: Andrew King
This programme aims to improve community resilience and public safety from a range of natural physical hazards.
Regional RiskScape, a joint venture between GNS Science and NIWA, is an easy-to-use multi-hazard risk analysis tool.
Visit the RiskScape website.
The RiskScape model will enable emergency, asset, and environmental managers, and the insurance and engineering sectors to:
- Estimate probable losses;
- Identify priorities for the minimisation of disruption to society at local/regional government levels; and
- Inform a comprehensive risk management process.
Programme Objectives
1. Hazard Exposure. Development or adaptation of hazard models, as they evolve from core hazard science programmes, for determining the regional exposure to multiple natural hazards. Modules or methodologies with be prepared to quantify this exposure and its uncertainty for different applications - such as credible scenarios, known historic events, inclusion of climate-change mitigation measures and probabilistic modelling for multiple hazard sources.
2. Hazard impacts and vulnerability. Creating or adapting impact and vulnerability models of communities, their assets and supporting infrastructure and economic development. These will be appropriate for the New Zealand context, relate hazard exposure to potential impacts (direct and indirect) and include inherent uncertainties.
3. Riskscape system inter-operability. Revision of the RiskScape tool as hazard exposure and vulnerability modules are refined or introduced. Improvement of the inter-operability of the system for comparing multiple hazards and different types of end-uses.
RiskScape will support prudent planning and investment decision-making prior to a natural disaster, and provide emergency managers and government agencies with timely estimates of damage and disruption following a natural disaster.
When implemented, the Regional Riskscape model will have the potential to underpin decision making that will save lives and minimise disruption. Further, the model leads to better estimates of projected losses (of fundamental consideration when setting insurance costs) and community impacts and informed educational initiatives to improve community awareness and response to natural hazard events.
Building a Riskscape model will also provide a framework within which scientists and engineers can reset future priorities for research so that results lead to more practical applications (i.e., change from defining hazards to more emphasis on developing solutions).