Strong Motion Shake Map Application for Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia

Implementing Partner: Build Change

Project name:Strong Motion Shake Map Application for Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia

This project develops a Shake Map application to visualize seismic intensity in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital, using data from the university’s strong motion network.

Given Mongolia’s high seismic activity, including four major earthquakes (magnitude >8) in the past century, improved monitoring is crucial.

With 1.7 million residents—half the nation’s population—real-time intensity mapping strengthens disaster preparedness, enhances emergency response, and supports risk reduction efforts, ensuring a safer, more resilient urban environment.

Earthquakes of 4+
magnitude in last
10 years in Mongolia
0
Average annual losses
due to earthquakes
in Ulaanbaatar, two-thirds
of Mongolia’s total
$ 0 mn

Impact and Key Findings

1

By integrating strong motion data, the Shake Map application provides real-time seismic intensity mapping across Ulaanbaatar, enabling rapid emergency response. It helps authorities and communities prioritize rescue efforts and make informed decisions during and immediately after an earthquake. 

2

The Shake Map application aids disaster management and city planning by delivering location-specific seismic intensity data. It enhances risk assessment and response strategies, strengthening preparedness and ensuring effective management of earthquake-related hazards for urban resilience. 

3

Engineers and urban planners can leverage Shake Map data to assess structural response, optimize retrofitting, and design safer infrastructure. Its integration into urban planning enhances Ulaanbaatar’s resilience to future earthquakes, mitigating long-term disaster risks effectively. 

Resources

Aishwarya Pillai

Lead Specialist

Alpana heads institutional partnerships, governance, and resource mobilization at CDRI, advancing cross-sector collaborations that drive resilient infrastructure programming across Member Countries and organizations. With over 25 years of experience spanning international development, global health, and the non-profit sector, she brings deep expertise in fundraising strategy, donor engagement, and delivering strategic change. 

At CDRI, Alpana has been pivotal in forging strategic alliances with governments, international organizations, and philanthropies. She also plays a key role in fortifying institutional systems and board governance mechanisms as the Coalition transitions into an international organization. 

Before joining CDRI, Alpana held senior leadership roles at The George Institute for Global Health, Plan India, WaterAid India, and SOS Children’s Villages, leading institutional fundraising and cultivating strategic partnerships for social impact. 

She holds a Master’s in Finance & Control from Aligarh Muslim University and completed Executive Education at Harvard Business School (CSR India). Her work is driven by a commitment to building enduring, values-based partnerships that accelerate sustainable development outcomes. 

Alpana Saha

Director, Partnerships, Governance, and Resource Mobilisation 

Alpana heads institutional partnerships, governance, and resource mobilization at CDRI, advancing cross-sector collaborations that drive resilient infrastructure programming across Member Countries and organizations. With over 25 years of experience spanning international development, global health, and the non-profit sector, she brings deep expertise in fundraising strategy, donor engagement, and delivering strategic change. 

At CDRI, Alpana has been pivotal in forging strategic alliances with governments, international organizations, and philanthropies. She also plays a key role in fortifying institutional systems and board governance mechanisms as the Coalition transitions into an international organization. 

Before joining CDRI, Alpana held senior leadership roles at The George Institute for Global Health, Plan India, WaterAid India, and SOS Children’s Villages, leading institutional fundraising and cultivating strategic partnerships for social impact. 

She holds a Master’s in Finance & Control from Aligarh Muslim University and completed Executive Education at Harvard Business School (CSR India). Her work is driven by a commitment to building enduring, values-based partnerships that accelerate sustainable development outcomes.