[sent on behalf of Prof Bill McGuire - see contact details on attached
flier to reserve a place]
Dear colleague,
Please find attached an invitation to the launch of inTERRAgate - the
world's first online global hazard database - to be held at the Grange
City Hotel on Thursday, March 22nd.
Developed by the Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre and SARAID, and with
financial support from UCL Futures, inTERRAgate is primarily designed to
raise awareness of natural hazards that may lead to future disasters,
thereby improving the preparedness and responses of humanitarian agencies
and other first responders. InTERRAgate includes a hazard profile for each
country, together with information on past events and future threats. A
graphic 'hazard wheel' highlights the principal threats to each country
at a glance. Other facilities include the capability to upload relevant
information, maps, graphics, images and videos related to disasters-in-
progress, comprehensive news feeds on hazard- and disaster-related issues,
a discussion forum, and a blog capability.
The database will eventually contain hazard information on all 200 or so
of the world's nation states. We are launching the site, however, with
basic hazard data on just 10 countries that are particularly hazard prone.
The reason for this is that inTERRAgate is built using similar software to
Wikipedia, so it is intended that most of the content will be uploaded
and 'owned' by stakeholders once the site is up-and-running. Also like
Wikipedia, editorial control will reside partly with a small group of key
staff at inTERRAgate HQ, but mainly with a team of volunteer content
managers responsible for individual countries.
InTERRAgate will be test-launched a few weeks before the formal launch,
and in the meantime you can view flyers and elements of the site
at:http://www.s176613701.websitehome.co.uk/ Please note that this address
may not always function due to continuing work on the site in the run-up
to the launch.
I do hope very much that you can join us on the 22nd.
Very best wishes
Bill
Bill McGuire
Director, Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre Department of Earth Sciences
University College London Gower Street London WC1E 6BT
Tel: +44 (0)20 7679 3449
Fax: +44 (0)20 7679 2390
www.benfieldhrc.org
|