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Before fully immersing in the opportunities and challenges of 2025, the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation takes a moment to look back at 2024 - a year marked by milestones, innovations, and strategic collaborations that have strengthened global earthquake resilience.

Revisit GEM’s key moments and milestones from 2024 by exploring the highlights below.

Celebrating 15 Years of Progress

GEM kicked off the year with its 15th-anniversary celebrations, a testament to its unwavering commitment to transforming earthquake science into actionable solutions. The milestone was marked by events that highlighted GEM’s achievements and introduced new collaborations, such as a partnership with PreventionWeb to broaden access to seismic risk profiles. Additionally, GEM’s first-ever sub-national earthquake risk assessment for Bangladesh, supported by UNDRR and the Government of Bangladesh, demonstrated its focus on tailored solutions for local resilience.

Innovations in Seismic Risk Assessment

Throughout the year, GEM advanced its mission through groundbreaking tools and initiatives. The launch of ATLAS 2.0 provided next-generation seismic hazard data services, while the Global Seismic Regulation Database offered valuable insights into building code impacts worldwide.

The OpenQuake Engine saw significant enhancements with the release of versions 3.19, 3.20, and 3.21, delivering improved performance, expanded features, and cutting-edge models to the global community.

Complementing these advancements, GEM staff led or co-authored key publications that provided valuable insights into seismic risk assessment methodologies, reinforcing GEM’s position as a trusted contributor to the field.

Strengthening Global Partnerships

GEM strengthened its partnerships with key stakeholders, including a new five-year collaboration with the USGS and renewed support from its public and private sponsors, a new partner, NormanMax, and product distribution partners, Climate Engine and Jupiter. Notably, GEM’s participation at the WFP Innovation Accelerator Pitch event in Germany, the OECD Science Forum in France, the Understanding Risk Global Forum (UR24) in Japan, and WCEE2024 in Italy underscored its leadership in seismic hazard and risk assessment.

Adding to these achievements, GEM Secretary General Helen Crowley was honoured with the prestigious Joyner Memorial Lecture Award, recognising her exceptional contributions to bridging earthquake science and engineering.

Empowering Through Education

A highlight of the year was the GEM-EGU Summer School on GeoHazards Risk, which brought together experts and students to explore cutting-edge risk assessment techniques. The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction further emphasized the role of education in building a disaster-resilient future.

Regional and Global Impact

From the FORCE project’s activities in El Salvador, Bhutan, and Southwest Pacific to its contributions to the EMME24 Model at ASC 2024, Albania's Updated National Seismic Hazard Model, and the Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment Project in Malawi, GEM continued to address regional needs while shaping global standards.

At INGV’s 25th-anniversary event in Rome, GEM presented “A Brief Overview of the Past, Present, and Future of the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation.” This live presentation showcased GEM’s evolution, significant contributions to the field, and its vision for strengthening ties with public sector partners.

To further enhance understanding of earthquake impacts and post-event analyses, GEM launched its Post Event Information webpage, a comprehensive resource offering detailed insights into recent significant earthquakes.

The approval of a more inclusive public sponsorship scheme this year sets the stage for stronger collaborations in 2025.

Looking Ahead

As GEM prepares for 2025, its achievements in 2024 stand as a foundation for future innovations. Together with its partners, GEM remains committed to advancing seismic risk assessment and building safer communities worldwide.