Disaster Management: Role of ICTs

Transcription

1 Disaster Management: Role of ICTs Chanuka Wattegama LIRNEasia (former) United Nations Development Program (UNDP) (former) ICT Agency, Sri Lanka Building a Local Government Alliance for Disaster Risk reduction ISDR Incheon, Republic of Korea, Aug 11-13, 2009 Note: The opinions expressed in the presentation are author s own and may not reflect those of any organization he is/was affiliated to.

2 Date: December 26, :00 hrs 08:55 hrs Large earthquake strikes off the tip of Sumatra, Indonesia 07:00 hrs Pallekele Seismological Station relays data of seaquake from seismometer to GSMB in Colombo 07:06 hrs PTWC revises magnitude to 8.5, mentions potential for tsunami 08:04 hrs Sources: NYT, Sunday Times, Tamilnet, 09:30 hrs 09:20 hrs 09:15 hrs 08:40 hrs 08:52 hrs 08:27 hrs

3 The tragedy The Asian tsunami s death toll could have been drastically reduced if the warning already known to scientists - was disseminated quickly and effectively to millions of coastal dwellers on the Indian Ocean rim. It is appalling that our sophisticated global communications systems simply failed us that fateful day. -Sir Arthur Clarke

4 Was this the reason?

5 Living with Disasters Are we living in a more dangerous world than our grandparents lived?

6 Or is it becoming a safer place? Living with Disasters

7 The tale of two worlds Highest (per incident) casualties in Asia, Africa and South America highest (per incident) losses in Europe, North America and Australia

8 ICTs in Disaster Management Mitigation, Risk Reduction (through assessment) and Prevention activities to reduce the chance of a hazard happening or prevent a hazard ending up as a disaster (long term) Preparedness plans to save lives or property and help the response and rescue service operations. Includes Early Warning Systems and evacuation Response - actions taken to save lives and prevent property damage and to preserve the environment during emergencies or disasters, in the immediate aftermath. (short term) Recovery actions that assist a community to return to the normalcy after a disaster. (short term and long term)

9 ICTs in Disaster Management 1. ICTs in Disaster Risk Reduction (through risk assessment)

10 Monitoring disaster possibilities using Satellite communication and GIS tools 2. Floods 1. Drought 3. Global warming

11 Monitoring disaster possibilities using Satellite communication and GIS tools 4. Earthquake prone areas Daily night time outgoing long wave earth radiation in Eastern Sichuan, China from May 5-12, 2008

12 ICTs in Disaster Management 2. ICTs in Disaster Mitigation and Prevention

13 Bio-Surveillance systems: o Show spreading patterns of critical diseases o Short term(sars, Bird Flu) or long term (HIV/AIDS) o Also address the issue of bio terrorism Stochastic modelling: o Mathematical simulations based on real data

14 Awareness creation: ointernet, , TV, Radio, Mobiles o Social networking, blogging

15 ICTs in Disaster Management 3. ICTs in Disaster Preparedness

16 Disaster Management training: Useful ICT tools: PCs and peripherals, TV, Radio

17 Role of Internet in disaster preparedness Started in 1997 by Reuters Foundation Piggyback on Reuters news service Focus is on conflicts and disasters Use a skeleton staff Has an e-community Addresses emergencies of four types, o health related o rapid onset o food-related and o conflict

18 ICTs in Disaster Management 4. ICTs in Disaster Response

19 ICTs in Disaster Preparedness and Response Rapid Onset Disasters ½ hour 3 days Hazard Disaster If > ½ hour disaster warning is not possible If < 3 days, it is a different kind of a disaster (drought, epidemic, famine) needs diverse tools

20 Early Warning Systems It is an end-to-end game

21 ICTs in Disaster Management 5. ICTs in Disaster Recovery (short term)

22 ICTs in Disaster Recovery (Immediate Aftermath) Developed by LSF in the aftermath of tsunami Used LAMP (Linux/Apache/MySQL/PHP) software stack The main applications and problems they address are: Helping to reduce trauma by effectively finding missing persons. Coordinating and balancing the distribution of relief organizations in the affected areas and connecting relief groups Registering and tracking all incoming requests for support and relief up to fulfilment and helping donors connect to requirements. Tracking the location and numbers of victims in the various camps and temporary shelters set up all around the affected area. Successfully used in Kashmiri earthquake (2005), Philippines Guinsaugon landslide (2006) and Indonesian Yogjakarta earthquake (2006)

23 Web 2.0 tools Social Networking

24 ICTs in Disaster Management 6. ICTs in Disaster Recovery (long term)

25 ICTs in Disaster Recovery (long term) Example: DAD Development Assistance database An automated information management system designed to improve efficiency and coordination of donor activities in the country. Promotes good governance and public accountability and transparency First used in Afghanistan. Now rolled out in Indonesia, Thailand, Maldives and Sri Lanka Has a user friendly web interface

26 Conclusion: Fortunately it does not have to be one technology over another Risk ReductionMitigation and Preparde-ness Response Prevention Recovery GIS Analytical tools Blogging Internet Mobile (voice) Mobile (nonvoice) Open Source Satellite Communication Web 2.0, Social Networking TV, Radio = Very important; = important = relevant

27 Conclusion: Other issues (which ICT might not solve) Extremely limited time to respond (eg tsunami in Java) Delays in decision making / issuing warnings; coordinating problems Evacuation issues (eg Katrina) Uncertainty in warnings (eg Floods in Bangladesh, 2008) Irrational human behaviour during evacuations Lack of shelters to evacuate (eg pre- 90 floods in Bangladesh) Loss of livelihoods Loss of property

28 Conclusion: "A chain is as strong as its weakest link

29 Thank You!