EQC awards $1.2 million for research

The New Zealand Earthquake Commission (EQC) has awarded more than $1.2m in grants to support 14 research projects aimed at improving the understanding of natural hazard risks in the country. The biennial grants are awarded to projects aligned with the EQC's research investment priorities, including research that empowers people, quantifies hazards and their impacts, looks at smarter land use, governance and economics, and resilient buildings. The projects cover a range of hazards from volcanoes to landslides and will help to reduce the impact of natural hazard events on people and property. Some of the research projects include examining the history of volcanic activity in the vicinity of Aotearoa's supervolcano, coastal inundation losses on Māori assets, and the insurance settlement experiences of those affected by the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake.