EMME will set a uniform, independent standard for earthquake hazard and risk assessment at a national and regional scale. Its implementation will be based on a combination of national and regional elements, and will integrate developments on the fronts of scientific and engineering knowledge as well as IT processes and infrastructure.
EMME development will focus on three integrated modules on seismic hazard, risk and economics, and one transversal action of capacity building and outreach.
Integration and harmonization across the whole region and all the activities of the project, and technology transfer in particular, is critical for EMME tools to achieve uniformity, efficiency, and relevance. This goal will be secured through different measures.
Training
Technology transfer will occur through regular training sessions, both in-person workshops and distance learning. Training workshops will be hosted at all regional centers, with most training workshops scheduled to occur at primary regional centers. Distance learning will also be hosted by the regional centers. Scientists and technical personnel from the participating institutions will be trained in aspects of data archiving and exchange, in the routine analysis of earthquake data, and in the assessment of seismic hazard, risk and losses.
Expert participation
National experts from all countries of the Middle East will participate in working groups and expert elicitation, bringing together their expertise while learning from other experts in the area.
Global integration
EMME roots in the past Global Seismic Hazard Assessment Program (GSHAP, a UN-IDNDR demonstration project, 1992-1999) where some of the Middle East countries (notably Iran, Tuerkey and India) worked actively towards the development of common regional standards. However, political and technical constraints prevented from tackling the whole Middle East region with a harmonized approach in GSHAP. More than a decade later, EMME will develop common standards in close coordination with GEM (the new Global Earthquake Model initiated by the OECD), with the new European project for hazard harmonization (EC FP7 SHARE), and will coordinate efforts with the central Asia countries through a program sponsored by the German Foreign Affairs.
