Information sharing for disaster response Global ICT: Information sharing for disaster response Are we ready for the next tsunami, earthquake, or Katrina? Facilitator: Gregg Swanson, HumaniNet

Our mission: assisting humanitarian field teams Information and communications technologies (ICT) Practical assistance for relief and development Sharing of best practices Expanding network

Our work “Help desk” assistance 100 + organizations 250+ humanitarian teams Volunteer engagement Research Field communications VoIP WiFi, WiMax networks Solar Power Mobile computing Communications assistance in Afghanistan, Iraq, Liberia, Darfur, Niger, South Asia tsunami, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, many other emergencies

2005: a year of natural disasters The numbers: 360 (305 in 2004) Floods and droughts Up 50% + $159 billion in damage $125 billion: Katrina Human impact 92,000 people killed 244,500 in 2004 157 million people affected Injured Evacuated Required immediate assistance Lost their livelihoods

Observations and lessons from Katrina Lack of preparedness All levels of government Lack of coordination “Disasters start and end at the local level” a Communications: massive failures Loss of power Poor interoperability Essential for command and control and situational awareness 3. Situational awareness Authorities and NGOs could not get actionable reports Volunteer-based programs were enormously helpful a. A Failure of Initiative – Final Report of the House Select Bipartisan Committee on Hurricane Katrina Preparation and Response

Key ICT issues in disaster relief and preparedness Coordination between institutional players and ad hoc initiatives Building response networks (and “preparedness networks”) Data and information standards – before the emergency Common standards, common services, common platforms Interoperability Ease of use Criticality of local capacity Institutional and operational memory – learnings from one disaster to the next Organizational and inter-organizational cultures Civil – military coordination Preparedness = planning, organizing, training, exercising

Opportunities Communications & connectivity on Day One! Peoplefinder solutions Supply chain management Deployed team support Volunteer management Matching funders to fundables On-the-ground tactical information Security Situational awareness Project management, collaborative tools Geospatial information systems (GIS) Reporting (to parent and host organizations, donors) Social networking Social entrepreneurship