Projects

Current Projects

 

 

Trinidad & Tobago Microzonation Project

Maps will be developed to show details of different levels of geotechnical hazards that may be triggered by earthquakes in areas of interest. Under this project seismic microzonation studies will be conducted in strategic areas within Trinidad and Tobago.

Funding: Government of Trinidad & Tobago
Project Leader: Ilias Papadopoulos

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Management of the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO)

This ‘project’ describes the UWI’s contract with the Government of Montserrat to provide scientific management of the Montserrat Volcano Observatory. The UWI-SRC  began management of the MVO in 2008 and is expected to continue overseeing operations for the foreseeable future. This project provides significant opportunities for advancing geoscience research in the region ensuring that The UWI-SRC continues to be involved in the longest volcanic eruption in the Caribbean.

Funding: The Government of Montserrat
Project Leader: Graham Ryan
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Risk at Margins

The Risk at Margins (RAM): a blueprint for de-fragmenting disaster risk reduction with populations at risk is an external collaborative project led by Professor Jenni Barclay of the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia that seek to improve how disaster risk reduction is integrated into sustainable development. Its overall intention is to work with at-risk communities on St. Vincent and those responsible for managing future volcanic risk.

Funding: The UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Project Coordinators: Richard Robertson and Monique Johnson
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Curating Crises

Curating Crisis: the past as a key to improving the stewardship of hazard knowledges for the future, brings together teams from the Caribbean (Seismic Research Centre, University of the West Indies, and the Montserrat Volcano Observatory) and the UK (University of East Anglia, University of Oxford, the Royal Society and The National Archives), and focuses on the histories of volcanic crises in the St Vincent, Montserrat and Dominica from 1890-2000. Records of past events will be scanned and shared with communities that were affected and used to help respond to similar events in the future.

Funding: AHRC

Project Contacts: Monique Johnson, Richard Robertson and Erouscilla Joseph 

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Completed

For more information on completed projects, please send us an email.

Disaster Risk Management in the Caribbean

In collaboration with GNS Science, New Zealand’s leading provider of earth science research, this project seeks to improve early warnings and stakeholder response during times of volcanic unrest in the Eastern Caribbean. The UWI-SRC staff will also benefit from enhanced knowledge and skills in volcanic monitoring techniques such as GPS, InSAR, Volcano-hydrothermal and Remote sensing.

Funding: Government of New Zealand

Community Disaster Risk Reduction Project

This project seeks to establish safe, resilient, Volcano-Ready communities in northern St. Vincent and the Grenadines with enhanced disaster risk reduction capacities using a combination of activities designed to enhance community early warning, adaptive capacities, awareness and response capacities. More

Funding: Caribbean Development Bank

Volcanoes Top Trumps: Volcanoes & Society Video Project

This project creates digital video teaching tools for communities at risk of being impacted by volcanic hazards. “My Volcano Story” presents facts and addresses misconceptions on the Soufriere Volcanic Complex, St. Lucia. Alongside My Volcano Story, “Island ViBES” (Video Based Eruption Simulation) provides a training tool designed to give first responders and decision makers an introduction to several challenges faced during volcanic emergencies.

Funding: Volcanoes Top Trumps ‘Volcanoes & Society’ Fund

Strengthening Resilience in Volcanic Areas (STREVA)

This project sought to reduce the negative consequences of volcanic activity on people and assets. The project worked collaboratively across different disciplines to develop and apply a practical and adaptable volcanic risk assessment framework.

Funding: NERC/ESRC Increasing Resilience to Natural Hazards in Earthquake-prone & Volcanic Regions programme.
Partner: University of East Anglia, UK

VUELCO (Volcanic Unrest in Europe and Latin America: Phenomenology, eruption precursors, hazard forecast, and risk mitigation)

A collaborative project with 9 other institutions. The broad aim was to significantly improve our understanding of the processes behind volcanic unrest and the ability to forecast its outcome aiding decision-making and management in an unrest situation.

Funding: The European Commission under its 7th Framework Programme

Caribbean Risk Atlas for Earthquake Hazards

This project sought to establish a core network of strong motion instruments in the Eastern Caribbean and Jamaica as a crucial element in the implementation of effective disaster risk reduction measures for earthquakes in the region. The key beneficiaries were people living in the Caribbean since it built the database necessary for guiding in the construction of earthquake resistant buildings.

Funding: Caribbean Catastrophic Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF)

TSUAREG (TSUnami Alert REGional)

A collaborative project with the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP) for the installation of four VSAT stations in Antigua, Carriacou, Dominica and Saint. Lucia. The objective of this project was to enhance regional seismograph networks for tsunami detection and to promote data sharing.

Funding: INTERREG
Partner: IPGP

Published IBC -compliant Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Maps for the Eastern Caribbean Islands

These were produced under a joint research project in collaboration with the European Centre for Training and Research in Earthquake Engineering (EUCENTRE). This was a major step forward in laying the foundation for earthquake hazard preparedness in the context of the built environment.

Funding: The Municipality of Milan

REAKT (Real Time EArthquake RisK ReducTion)

A collaborative project with 23 countries, primarily in Europe. The general objective was to improve the efficiency of real time earthquake risk mitigation methods and its capability of protecting structures, infrastructures and people. The Eastern Caribbean served as a test region for the products developed.

Funding: The European Commission under its 7th Framework Programme

Tsunami & Other Coastal Hazards Warning System Project

Under the Public Awareness and Education component of this project, Tsunami Smart public awareness and teacher educational material was produced and disseminated through public awareness campaigns in select pilot countries in the Eastern Caribbean.

Funding: USAID Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA)
Partner: Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency