GIS-based seismic risk and loss estimation platform for Cyprus

Earthquakes represent a major natural hazard, that can cause substantial human and economic losses, leading to a negative impact on the economic welfare and resilience of communities in seismic-prone areas worldwide, including Cyprus. Considering the significant increase in losses recorded in earthquake-vulnerable areas during the last decade and the requirement for countries to establish tailored civil protection mechanisms to align with EU objectives, there is a pressing socio-economic necessity to create a comprehensive tool for assessing earthquake risks and estimating potential losses in Cyprus. This paper highlights the urgent need for the development of an innovative Seismic Risk and Loss Estimation GIS-based platform for Cyprus in which the expected damage level and economic loss of the built environment including critical infrastructures and cultural heritage (monuments and sites) for various seismic scenarios will be estimated. This paper also presents the methodology to be followed for developing this platform that incorporates well-established seismic risk and loss estimation methodologies with GIS data, aiming to quantify and visualize the damage state, the risk of significant damage as well as the direct economic loss of infrastructure systems in the aftermath of earthquakes. The Cyprus Seismic Risk and Loss Estimation GIS-based Platform is expected to have a positive scientific, economic, and societal impact and it can be used as an important decision tool for the policymakers, the building owners and for insurance companies.