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nation required for comprehensive DM. In order for

information to effectively support DM and DRR activi-

ties, those who need to use it must be able to do so.

While ICTs can help make marginalized groups more

visible to decision makers, if Internet penetration or

capacity is low, then they will not be effective in the

collection or wide dissemination of risk information.

These technologies also require specialized skill sets.

The use of ICTs to collect, analyse, integrate and share

risk information must not increase differential access

to information or representation in decision outputs

but should instead facilitate individual and collective

action to reduce disaster risk. Training and education

can help, but will not eliminate inequities.

Responding to the challenge

PDC is actively working to overcome these chal-

lenges and put relevant, understandable, actionable

information into the hands of those who need it.

The organization works with stakeholders around

the world to help them frame their data collection

efforts, identify intended outcomes and uses, outline

data and implementation requirements and gaps,

and develop strategies and solutions to help them

fill those gaps. PDC works with other information

providers and stakeholders to help establish common

information sharing policies that will help reduce

replication of effort and cost, and more effectively

support inter-agency and cross-boundary DRR and

DM activities. It provides training on data collection,

management, analysis methods and tools, in addition

to training on integrating spatial data into decision

making processes.

As an organization that uses ICT to enhance the

accessibility of risk information for decision makers,

disaster managers and the public, PDC was among

the first to make its early warning, hazard exposure

and other information products available via the Web

and Internet-based mapping applications. It publishes

the same information via social networks such as

Facebook and Twitter and is now taking advantage

of smart phones and similar devices to provide early

warning content on interactive maps through free

downloadable apps for Android and iPhones/iPads.

Other solutions provided by PDC include early

warning and decision support platforms with addi-

tional functionality and protection that can be used to

support a variety of mitigation, preparedness, response

and recovery activities. The platforms are integrated

with various modelling applications, and equipped with

state-of-the-art visualization tools. These platforms also

include tools that facilitate information sharing across

agencies and boundaries.

PDC is committed to promoting DRR through

enhancement of evidence-based decision making

capabilities. It provides support for DRR by helping

disaster managers, policy makers and the public

access and understand the information they need,

when they need it.

other DRR and DM activities. The project is already being used

to identify and share patterns of local security risks.

Data compilation, integration and sharing: making the visible

accessible

Those analysing and using information for DRR or DM decision

making are unlikely to be involved in direct data collection or

processing. Most risk-related information they use will have

already been collected and processed, but it is not often found

in one place. Hydrometeorological departments probably have

information on storms and flooding, but may not have data on

earthquakes. Information on population and socio-economic

characteristics, land use/land cover data and critical infrastruc-

ture data will likely all be housed within different agencies. As

a result, secondary data collection and integration can become

very time- and labour-intensive, decreasing visibility and delay-

ing decisions.

One of the advantages of digital information is that it is much

easier to bring it together in one place. Web-enabled database

and GIS applications are increasingly being used to integrate,

compile and disseminate disaster risk information. Global data

portals and online data warehouses such the PDC Global Hazards

Information Network, CRED/EM-DAT, CIESEN Columbia

University World Data Center, the Prevention Web Global Risk

Data Platform and the World Bank Indicators site make informa-

tion more readily available.

In addition to expanding access, web-based applications add value

and support both awareness and decision making. Social media

approaches have been described above. Tools such as the Global

Risk Data Platform

make the results of complex analyses available

in a form that is easy to understand and explore. Similarly, PDC’s

Global Hazards Atlas

allows users to interact with information

such as historical events, hazard layers and population data. The

Atlas also visualizes dynamic data such as active hazards, forecasts

and observational data, enabling users to monitor current condi-

tions within a broader situational context. These data are in turn

made available via spatial information sharing protocols, such as

WMS and WFS.

The configuration of these tools and representation of data layers

can be used to highlight key findings or relationships. Web-based

applications also allow users to interact with information that is

important to them without needing to be experts in either subject

matter or technology. Because of this, however, particular care must

be taken in the representation and documentation of information.

Data considerations

Data availability, quality and consistency are some of the biggest

challenges to accessing relevant information and making the invis-

ible visible in the decision making process. It is not uncommon for

monitoring networks and historical records to be sparse, or wholly

unavailable for certain phenomena. Primary collection of qualitative

and quantitative social and environmental data is expensive in terms

of both labour and capital. While analyses and decisions are only

as good as the data that goes into them, collection efforts must be

balanced with priorities, purpose, and internal and external human,

technical and financial resources.

Data sharing helps reduce the burden, but there are challenges

here as well. Institutional and technical structures do not always

support the free exchange of information. This affects the coordi-