Global Seismic Risk Map

The Global Seismic Risk Map (v2023.1) poster comprises three global maps, and a ranking of the top 15 countries according to five risk metrics. These results are an update of the global maps released in 2018, as described in Silva et al. (2020). The main map presents the geographic distribution of average annual loss of built-up area due to ground shaking in the residential, commercial and industrial building stock. It does not consider the effects
of tsunamis, liquefaction, landslides, and fires following earthquakes. The Global Seismic Hazard Map depicts the geographic distribution of the Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, computed for reference soil conditions (shear wave velocity based on topography). The Global Exposure Map depicts the geographic distribution of residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. The average annual losses and number of buildings are presented on a hexagonal grid, with a spacing of 0.30 x 0.34 decimal degrees (approximately 1,000 km2 at the equator). The central bar plots present the ranking of the top 15 countries or territories according to five risk metrics: Average Annual Economic losses (in billions of USD), Average Annual number of Buildings Lost (in thousands), Average Annual Built-up Area Lost (in millions of m2
), Average Annual Fatalities (in thousands), and Average Annual population left Homeless (in millions). The economic losses are from direct physical damage to buildings due to shaking, and thus damage to infrastructure or indirect losses due to business interruption are not included. The fatalities are due to earthquake-induced structural collapse of buildings and do not consider indirect fatalities such as those from post-earthquake epidemics. These risk metrics were computed using the event-based calculator of the OpenQuake engine, an open-source software for seismic hazard and risk analysis developed by the GEM Foundation. The seismic hazard, exposure and vulnerability models employed in these calculations were provided by national institutions, or developed within the scope of regional programs or bilateral collaborations. These global maps and the underlying databases are based on best available and publicly accessible datasets and models. Due to possible model limitations, regions portrayed with low risk may still experience potentially damaging earthquakes. Additional hazard and risk metrics for each country can be explored at globalquakemodel.org/gem