Our History

For more than 10 years, DEVORA (DEtermining VOlcanic Risk in Auckland) has been focused on preparing New Zealand’s largest city for a volcanic eruption – and the accompanying disruption.

The multi-agency research programme – launched in 2008 – focuses on the Auckland Volcanic Field (AVF), along with ash fall from distant volcanoes.

Researchers collect and integrate geoscience, volcanic hazard and risk, and social data to aid risk management and business decision-making in order to make Auckland safer.

New Zealand’s most populous city sits on top of the AVF, which covers 360 square kilometres and features more than 53 eruptive vents formed over the past 200,000 years.

Each vents erupt once, so each eruption occurs in a new location, posing major concerns for emergency and risk managers.

It is not known where or when the next eruption will occur.

DEVORA aims to understand and reduce these uncertainties in order to support Auckland’s growth as a sustainable, resilient, and liveable city.

Supported by the Earthquake Commission (EQC) and Auckland Council, the DEVORA programme is jointly led by Prof. Jan Lindsay (University of Auckland) and Dr Graham Leonard (GNS Science).

Both the University of Auckland and GNS Science also contribute to the programme. 

Powered by innovation and advanced analysis, the DEVORA programme has repositioned Auckland as a global leader in emergency management planning.

In 2016, the Auckland Civil Defence and Emergency Management Group Plan topped a study of 100 plans from cities around the world.

In the Global Assessment Report (GAR) on Disaster Risk Reduction 2015 taskforce of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, DEVORA was described as a “flagship of integrated natural hazards research and an excellent case study of end-to-end volcanic hazard and risk assessment”. 

Tags:Auckland Volcanic FieldGNS ScienceresearchUniversity of Auckland