TP3: Community Datasets

Leader: Nick Horspool
Deputy: Matthew Hughes

Key research thrust areas:

1. Collection and/or integration of multi-disciplinary datasets into existing open-source community databases

Key performance indicators:

 Updates:

06/10/16

Resilience to earthquake impacts requires understanding of the spatial distribution of critical societal assets such as roads, drinking water and waste water systems, electricity and telecommunications networks, and the flows of materials and goods essential for our daily lives. To better assess societal impacts, we require good information on where people are located, and what are their vulnerabilities.
The aim of this Technology Platform is to harness and expand the spatial datasets available in New Zealand to provide improved understanding of potential earthquake impacts. This includes:

• Making the QuakeCoRE research community aware of the open-source spatial data available for incorporation into their research;

• Partnering with local and regional government and other infrastructure providers to better understand their vulnerabilities and infrastructure interdependencies;

• Acting as a hub through which infrastructure-related research outputs can be disseminated and further incorporated into different research programmes;

• Working with government agencies to incorporate spatio-temporal population data into impacts simulations;

• In partnership with the aligned Technical Programme 4: Computational Simulation and Data Visualisation, using spatial data to depict earthquake impacts on the built environment and communities.

To date, there has been significant progress in using geospatial community datasets in Christchurch, New Zealand, to understand the impacts of the 2010-2011 Canterbury Earthquake Sequence. The lessons from this event have highlighted how accurate and up-to-date geospatial data are critical for rapid post-disaster assessment and in planning for future events. To apply these lessons nationally, the Community Datasets Technology Platform will align with other national initiatives on spatial data management and provision, and work with central government agencies and city councils around New Zealand.

If you are interested in contributing to this platform please consider submitting an EOI to the 2017 RfP, or get in touch with Nick Horspool or Matthew Hughes.