1. 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

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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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