@book{JRC34045,
	editor = {},
	address = {Davos (Switzerland)},
	year = {2006},
	author = {Dandoulaki M and Valadaki E and Panoutsopoulou M and Plessas S and Drakatos G},
	isbn = {},
	abstract = {The geography and level of vulnerability and risk is an essential input to decision making for earthquake planning in urban areas. Nonetheless local agencies rarely have the capacity and resources to develop and maintain sophisticated GIS tools for this purpose. 
		We argue that accuracy in risk and vulnerability assessment although desired, is not indispensable for earthquake planning at a local level. Rough assessments can be proved adequate provided that the delivered information is: a. structured in a manner that takes into account the local context, and b. comprehensive enough to encompass the range of probable earthquake ef-fects and emergency needs in the area. Should a tool to obtain such information is made available to the local authorities and if maintained in the long run, it can serve effectively decision making and planning. This could be the case even if it is used only for information manage-ment, demonstration exercises and training. 
		Holding this point of view a method for a rapid low cost assessment of urban earthquake risk was developed based on open source statistical data from the National Statistical Survey of Greece. The method was applied to the capital city of Rhodes island (Greece) and the system was adjusted to the role of the Municipality of Rhodes in earthquake mitigation and emergency planning. It comprises the following steps: 
		- An identification of the main categories of elements at risk in the city taking into account the development and urban profile of the area. 
		- Development of thematic maps concerning the geography of these key elements of the urban environment, and especially land uses distribution, population geography, building densities, critical facilities, buildings of special use (such as schools and welfare institu-tions), tourism facilities. 
		- Assessment of earthquake vulnerability of buildings taking into account statistical data on building features and based on general vulnerability curves elaborated by working groups of the Technical Chamber of Greece.
		- An estimation of expected losses related to the seismic hazard level in the area
		- A mainly qualitative assessment of urban earthquake risk and its distribution using com-binations of thematic information and event scenarios.         
		Based on the above, a GIS tool was set up with the aim to facilitate earthquake awareness, decision making and planning at a local level.  The tool was developed within the framework of the research project ESTIA that aimed at providing local authorities with advanced software and a comprehensive system to support decision making and risk management.
		
		
		
		
		},
	title = {Rapid Low Cost Vulnerability and Risk Assessment for Earthquake Planning: An Application to Rhodes City (Greece)},
	url = {},
	volume = {},
	number = {},
	journal = {},
	pages = {124-126},
	issn = {},
	publisher = {Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL},
	doi = {}
}