Unlocking risk: Enhancing hazard risk assessment through historical archival reanalysis | Natural Hazards Research Australia

Unlocking risk: Enhancing hazard risk assessment through historical archival reanalysis

Photo: Arie Oldman, Unsplash
Project type

Core research

Project status

In planning

Understanding and mitigating earthquake risks in Australia has relied on incomplete and biased historical data, often excluding First Nations knowledge. While essential for long-term hazard assessment, historical records have been limited by inconsistent methodologies and restricted access. Overcoming these challenges is crucial for more accurate hazard assessments and effective risk mitigation strategies. 

This project aims to significantly improve the characterisation of historical hazard events by enhancing the quantity and quality of data available for research. 

An online webinar provided a more detailed briefing of the project and the opportunity for interested parties to pose specific questions. Watch the recording below.

Project details

This research aims to significantly improve the characterisation of historical hazard events by enhancing the quantity and quality of data available for research. This research aims to significantly improve the characterisation of historical hazard events by enhancing the quantity and quality of data available for research. 

This aim will be achieved through the following steps: 

  • Conducting a comprehensive literature review and stakeholder consultation to define the scope of data acquisition for historical earthquake, storm surge and cyclone hazard events in a minimum of three case study regions.  

  • Performing a thorough search of online databases for primary source material and making in-person visits to libraries, state and agency archives for non-digitised materials in case study regions. 

  • Engaging appropriately with First Nations groups to understand historic hazard events. 

  • Analysing historical data to robustly characterise each event (e.g., earthquake location and magnitude), focusing on hazards of particular concern to stakeholders in agreed case study regions. 

  • Establish methods for translating historical accounts into characterisation of the hazards that can inform current risk assessments and supporting databases.  

  • Making the data collected available to hazard researchers and disaster risk practitioners. 

  • Developing the methodology with built-in flexibility to enable its application to additional hazards and jurisdictions in the future.