| Abstract | The Canadian version of Hazus, a loss estimation tool for natural hazards, is now available for use from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). Hazus is a quantitative risk
assessment and decision-support tool for natural hazard risk mitigation and emergency management adapted from the United States by NRCan for use in Canada.
Hazus is a GIS-based tool that models physical damage and
economic and social losses from natural hazards such as earthquakes, floods and hurricanes. At present, only the earthquake module is available in the Canadian version; the flood module is currently being adapted in collaboration with Public Safety
Canada and Environment Canada . Hazus for Canada is currently being validated for a number of earthquake scenarios through two case studies: North Vancouver
(urban community), and the Quebec City-Ottawa region (infrastructure corridor).
The Hazus for Canada application and basic national dataset are free of charge and publically available from NRCan. To request a copy of Hazus for Canada, receive
application updates, obtain a copy of user manuals, and for further information, contact Nicky Hastings, Hazus Canada Activity Lead, Natural Resources Canada, at nhasting@nrcan.gc.ca , or (604) 666-3955.
The latest
version of Hazus for Canada includes a Comprehensive Database Management System (CDMS) for uploading asset inventory data, compiled in different formats, into the Hazus application. The included national dataset, containing residential asset
inventory and demographic data from the Statistics Canada 2006 Census , can be augmented with local data, where available.
A number of resources for Hazus training are available
online. Free introductory webinars are available for earthquakes and floods . A monthly teleconference is available to those interested in learning more about Hazus for Canada and sharing user
experiences through the interdisciplinary Canadian Hazus Users Group and Risk Assessment Users Group. The teleconference calls also offer an opportunity to discuss quantitative risk assessment needs with
potential clients, such as representatives of municipal and provincial governments. For more information on the user group teleconferences, contact Bert Struik at bstruik@nrcan.gc.ca. |