SGER: US-Pakistan Workshop on Collaborative Research, Education, & Development Strategies for Earthquake Hazards Mitigation in Pakistan

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Abstract: 0608836On October 8, 2005 a severe earthquake of Mw 7.6 struck the northern region ofPakistan, which lies near the western edge of the seismically active Himalayan arc, causing more than 87,000 deaths, two million homeless and extensive damage to buildings and transportation networks. The relief, recovery, and reconstruction cost of this devastating earthquake could possibly top 10 billion dollars.Aside from the tragic loss of life and property, the Kashmir earthquake offers a unique opportunity for the U.S. researchers to benchmark their system level, integrated earthquake consequence-minimization models as well as assist the Pakistani research community in defining and strengthening their embryonic earthquake hazard mitigation effort. It is proposed to organize a joint workshop between the U.S. researchers, particularly those affected by high consequence-low probability earthquakes, and their Pakistani counterparts in Islamabad in March 2006. The primary purpose of the workshop is to help define and prioritize the seismic risk mitigation agenda for Pakistan and to share knowledge, expertise, and the field measurements and damage assessment data. Establishing research relationships, institutional linkages and educational exchanges will also be important goals of this initiative. A report defining the critical research and development needs and identifying specific collaborative research initiatives will be published at the conclusion of the workshop. The proposed workshop will offer the U.S. researchers and their Pakistani counterparts a unique opportunity to better understand the relationship between the immediate rescue, relief, and reconstruction demands and the long term sustainable mitigation efforts required following a massive disaster. It will also help thread an integrated view of the source to society issues and provide a test bed for the system level earthquake consequence minimization applications developed in the U.S. The workshop will set forth a strategic blue print for long term collaborative research and educational initiatives between the two countries that will serve a much desired human need as well as further the research and professional development in the U.S. Funds are requested from the National Science Foundation to support the participation of the U.S. researchers. The Higher Education Commission of Pakistan has committed to providing Funds for the local participants and the expenses related to hosting the workshop. The OISE program at NSF is co-funding the U.S. participation along with the SSHMS program of the CMS Division.