Reverse Linkage

36 REVERSE LINKAGE T his reverse linkage project was created for the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), as the recipient and beneficiary, and the Marmara Research Center (MRC), Turkey as the technical support organization with specialised expertise, providing financial assistance to complete the assignments. The project has been designed to enhance the technical skills, performance and capacity of engineers and profession- als at PMD’s mid level management, through on-the-job training. PMD chose to focus on a seismological study of Pakistan, as two-thirds of the country is located on active seismic faults that are continuously generating earth- quakes of varying scale. PMD has an official mandate for earthquake monitoring as well as a responsibility to distribute earthquake related information to government organizations and to NGOs. It is also responsible for the issue, to relevant organizations, of tsunami early warnings as standard operating proce- dure. PMD is the only organization in Pakistan monitoring earthquake activity, for which it operates a state-of-the-art digital network for seismic monitoring nationwide, produc- ing ample data for use in research. The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) is the country’s leading agency for research. It was established in 1963 with a mission to advance science and technology as well as to conduct research and support Turkish researchers. The TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center was built to run research projects, through its subordinate institutes, in basic and applied science for the requirements of industry, contributing to the increase of the country’s global competitive power. The Reverse Linkage project Two-thirds of Pakistan is earthquake prone, with more than 500 earthquakes recorded by PMD’s national seismic monitoring network annually. The occurrence of major earthquakes, those of more than 6.0 magnitude, is common in the north, north-west, west and south-west of Pakistan. The world famous Makran subduction zone, situated south of Pakistan in the Arabian Sea, has the potential to gener- ate an earthquake of more than a 7.5 magnitude. The newly built Gwadar sea port, a prime naval base and the national coastal highway are under threat, prompting the study and exploration of the characteristics of the Makran subduction zone. PMD had already completed a seismic hazard study of Pakistan but without an understanding of the crustal structure and the character of the active faults. Such areas of study are helpful for improving hazard and risk assessment, which may reduce economic losses in case of an earthquake disaster in Pakistan and its surroundings. The project of studying earthquakes and tsunamis was given priority due to the loss of life and property incurred in the past. To mitigate the human losses in Pakistan, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has collaborated with the MRC to enhance the capabilities of the PMD in the fields of earthquake, tsunami, and tectonics with focus on the prone areas of the country. Why south of Pakistan? The area to the south of Pakistan has experienced many tragic disasters due to major earthquakes. The 23rd most deadly earthquake to date, worldwide, occurred on 31 May 1935, between 2:33 am and 3:40 am, at Quetta, Balochistan where most of the reported casualties occurred. The govern- ment estimated that 20,000 people were buried under the rubble. There were 10,000 survivors and 4,000 injured. The city was badly damaged and was immediately sealed under military guard following medical advice. The second worst Pakistan earthquake disaster occurred in the Arabian Sea at 5:26 PST on 28 November 1945. It had a magnitude of 8.1 and a maximum perceived intensity of X (extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale, generating a huge tsunami that hit the coast of Makran, causing 4,000 casualties. Another earthquake hit Balochistan on 23 September 2013. The main shock had a magnitude of 7.7 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII (very strong). At least 825 people were killed and hundreds more were injured. Reverse Linkage between Marmara Research Center, Turkey and Meteorological Department, Pakistan Zahid Rafi, Project Coordinator, Pakistan Meteorological Department