Program

Building a Resilient Future: What New Research Directions, Technology Developments and Partnerships are Needed?

Hiroshi Kawase, Kyoto University; Monica Kohler, California Institute of Technology; Albert Kottke, Pacific Gas and Electric; Patricia Persaud, University of Arizona; Alba Rodriguez-Padilla, Utah State

Enhancing the resilience of communities in earthquake-vulnerable regions is a global priority and requires new actionable science and partnerships among scientists, engineers, the public, policy makers and stakeholders. The panel will discuss the highest priority objectives and opportunities among the geosciences and engineering disciplines for building earthquake-ready cities and the importance of growing the communities who are involved in seismic risk assessment and management. Key challenges include identifying what new kinds of observational data – e.g., on fault structures, basins and urban environments – and collective actions are needed to measure and monitor the resilience of a city to earthquakes. The panel will address the main bottlenecks in transferring new knowledge gained from data or models – including strong ground motions (site effects), artificial intelligence and machine learning advancements – into practical applications to improve building codes and the resilience of the built environment. A key focus will be how to overcome the current challenges in assessing seismic risk and effectively communicating seismic risk to the public and stakeholders to improve pre-disaster preparedness activities and post-disaster response. The panel will explore new research directions, technology developments and partnerships for improved seismic resilience.