Laserfiche WebLink
<br />PSOO-IO <br /> <br />*Contact: Grace Koshida, Scientific Advisor <br />Emergency Preparedness Canada e <br />Office of the Senior Scientific Advisor (OSSA) <br />122 Bank Street, 2nd Floor, Jackson Building <br />Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA, KIA OW6 <br />Tel: +1 (613) 991-7072, Fax:+1 (613) 996-0995 <br />email: grace.koshida@epc-pcc.gc.ca <br /> <br />NHEMATIS: Utilization of a Canadian Natnral Hazards Risk Assessment Model <br />Christopher Tucker and Grace Koshida*, Emergency Preparedness Canada <br /> <br />Emergency Preparedness Canada (EPC) is the federal government organisation within the Department of <br />National Defence, which is responsible for the development and maintenance of civil emergency <br />preparedness across Canada. Its major research effort over the past six years is the National Hazards <br />Electronic Map and Assessment Tools Information System (NHEMATIS), comprising an electronic <br />natural hazards map of Canada and a series of risk assessment/search and query tools. <br /> <br />NHEMATIS is a modem computerized system for data capture, storage, presentation, hazard assessment <br />and modelling. By combining the power of expert system technology with the spatial analysis <br />capabilities of a geographic information system (GIS), NHEMATIS provides a repository of information <br />on historical and potential future disasters, an inventory of information on facilities and people at risk to <br />natural hazards, and tools and algorithms for estimating the damage and injury that could be caused by <br />various natural hazard events, <br /> <br />NHEMATIS currently contains national geographic databases as well as data for four local study areas e <br />(Vancouver, Edmonton, Ottawa, Montreal) for demonstration purposes. Hazard impact assessment <br />modelling capabilities in NHEMATIS are currently available for earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, and <br />landslides. Recent work over the past year has resulted in the production of a number of versions which <br />further enhance the functionality, profile and implementation ofNHEMATIS in three areas. <br /> <br />First, in order to strengthen the core functionality ofNHEMATIS, the different equations available and <br />commonly used for earthquake attenuation were reelCamined, Historical maps of estimated MMI <br />(Modified Mercalli Index) were obtained for a range of events in eastem and western Canada and <br />improved sets of equations and parameters were built into the NHEMA TIS software. <br /> <br />Second, training versions ofNHEMATIS were developed during the autumn I 999/winter 2000 semester <br />to evaluate the suitability ofNHEMATIS as an educational tool. NHEMATIS was used in two <br />laboratory assignments in an upper-year undergraduate geography course at Carleton University in <br />Ottawa. Student user and faculty feedback will hopefully lead towards the development of a final <br />training version ofNHEMATIS for educational purposes, <br /> <br />Finally, a prototype World Wide Web application to deliver key components ofNHEMATIS <br />functionality is being developed to advance public awareness of risk and vulnerability concepts. <br /> <br />NHEMATIS description: <br /> <br />http://www.nobility.comlapps/emerg/index_fr.htm <br /> <br />e <br />