The Asian Seismological Commission (ASC) is a regional commission of the International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth’s Interior (IASPEI), which in turn is affiliated to the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG)
- To promote seismological research and development aligned with societal needs and applications in Asia, with major emphasis to strengthen disaster mitigation planning and efforts.
- To facilitate seismological infrastructure development and capacity building in member Asian countries.
- To work with Asian governments in building a consensus to develop a Pan-Asian integrated centre that will deliver seismological, seismo-geodetic and earthquake engineering services; allow sharing of resources including seismic, geodetic and related observational data; facilitate technology transfer, and execute projects on behalf of the member countries.
- To maintain close cooperation with geo-science and earthquake engineering communities active in Asia, and other leading international organizations around the world.
The ASC was restructured and re-consolidated under the president Paramesh Banerjee and held its 12th biennial General Assembly in 2018 in Chengdu, China. The commission currently comprises of an Executive Committee, a Council, and Sub-Commission; each having a unique role to play in the running of the commission and its contribution towards its objectives.
ASC recognizes that Asia and southern Pacific, covering a vast surface of the planet, is the most vulnerable landmass in the planet that is prone to seismic disasters, including earthquake, tsunami and volcanism; gifted with some unique tectonic features like India-Asia collisional plate boundary, the ‘Ring of Fire’, etc.
With its vast territory, large population and proximity to unstable seismological and volcanic hotspots, Asia poses unique challenges to the scientific and engineering community as well as disaster and development managers. It is hence desirable to bring together the expertise and experience in seismology and related fields to better understand physical processes of the earth, and develop an earthquake hazard resilient society through enhanced regional cooperation, cross-border resource sharing and optimal utilization of existing infrastructure.