Estimating Earthquake Risk: The use of REDAS in the Philippines

Addressing the risk posed by the occurrence of strong and destructive earthquakes is a big challenge faced by authorities. Unlike hydro-meteorological events where prediction can be achieved with great precision and accuracy via state-of-the-art technologies and devices, there has been no means yet by which this can be done with earthquakes. To date, sound preparation for the uncertainty entails a lot of resources. This book introduces the Rapid Earthquake Damage Assessment System (REDAS), a GIS software as a tool to quickly assess and evaluate the damages from a devastating earthquake in near-real time fashion which can provide authorities with reliable data as bases for appropriate actions. It can offer an effective and efficient coping mechanism during and after an earthquake event due to its quick forecasting capabilities. Interested individuals may adopt the methodologies used so that through collective collaboration can work towards a more improved and reliable system. It also acts as an alerting tool on the occurrence of earthquakes and tsunamis as it can create a direct link to concerned agencies in the region via a dependable internet connection.