New Zealand’s Earthquake Commission will provide funding of $NZ1 million ($959,340) for 16 research projects that could help reduce the impact of natural disasters.

Projects supported under a biennial awards program include detecting signs of volcanic eruption, development of low-cost early earthquake warning sensors and investigation of a newly discovered fault on the Hauraki Plains.

Recipients are scientists at Auckland, Victoria, Massey and Canterbury universities, GNS Science, building and construction research group BRANZ and consultancy and research enterprise Resilient Organisations.

The 2020 EQC Biennial Awards program is part of the government-owned insurer’s annual $17 million research funding expenditure.

“EQC has a unique position as both an insurer and a science funder,” Head of Resilience Strategy and Research Jo Horrocks said.

“This means we can identify essential research outcomes that can be used now and also look at some of the big challenges for New Zealand that may take more than one generation of scientists to solve.”