5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014 Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice 24-28 August 2014 in Davos, Switzerland

1. Information Management
in Emergency Response
Alan Mills
IDRC 2014, Davos, Switzerland
26th August, 2014

2. What we do:
UK based charity of c. 75
volunteers and 8 central
staff
Rapid deployment to
support relief agencies
(and those coordinating
relief) in early stages of a
sudden onset disaster
Have deployed to nearly
50 missions since 2004
Make Maps to be used by
decision makers and to
inform people of a
“Common Operational
Picture” or COP.

3. Building Blocks of
Emergency Information Management
Gaps Progress Planning
emergencies
Location
Situation
(COP)
Admin. Areas Settlements
Transport
Infrastructure
Topography
Population
Distribution
Health Data
IM in
Vulnerability/
HDI
Risk and
Hazard
Mapping
Affected Areas/
Population
Response
(WWW)
Drivers Needs
Can Catastrophe Modelling
Assist here in response ?

4. Linking models to the field
MapAction are a potential end user of the
catastrophe and risk models
We respond to those that ask for help:
cf Triage – those who cry loudest for help
often not the ones in most need:
Is there a more systematic way to profile:
e.g. MIRA and ACAPS?
•Is the language right (e.g. AFFECTED
POPULATIONS.... COP)
•Are the models and probabilistic data
transferrable to real time relief?
•Beforehand as background or baseline
•During the emergency – Will “Cloud”
work in challenging environments?
•Can they improve targetting of aid and
speed up bounce back to recovery?