Development of Earthquake Risk Scenerio for City of Burnaby

The City of Burnaby is developing the Burnaby Strategies and Actions for Earthquake Resilience (B-SAFER) to address the growing threat of seismic hazards through scenario-based risk modeling, planning, and policy development. Located in one of the most seismically active zones in Canada, Burnaby is exposed to both large-scale subduction events (e.g., Cascadia) and shallow crustal earthquakes (e.g., Georgia Strait). The need for localized, scientifically credible risk modeling is urgent, especially in light of the city’s aging infrastructure and rapid population growth.
This proposed MITACS-supported research will engage a student and faculty member from British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) in direct collaboration with Licker Geospatial, Thrive Consulting and Burnaby city staff. The project aims to develop two detailed earthquake risk scenarios using OpenQuake modeling software—one for a Cascadia Subduction Zone event and one for a Georgia Strait crustal earthquake. These scenarios will be informed by regional hazard models, seismic microzonation data, and Burnaby’s building inventory. The results will serve as core technical inputs for Burnaby’s earthquake risk reduction strategies and will enhance its ability to prioritize retrofits, zoning changes, emergency planning, and communication with equity-denied and high-risk communities. This will set a precedent for academic-institution-led research directly benefiting municipal disaster resilience.

Faculty Supervisor:

Bishnu Pandey

Student:

Partner:

Licker Geospatial Consulting Co.;Cascadia Climate Resilience Society

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Public administration

University:

British Columbia Institute of Technology

Program: