WRC Thematic Session Background Paper - Innovation in Reconstruction 2.0

8/7/2019 WRC Thematic Session Background Paper - Innovation in Reconstruction 2.0

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WRC Draft Thematic Session Background Paper not for citation

DraftThematic Session

Background Paper*not for citation


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Innovation in Reconstruction 2.0

By Kaiko Saito and Emma Phillips

Abstract

In the aftermath of a natural disaster, a rapid assessment of the damage is necessary

to enable governments to make targeted aid allocation and reconstruction decisions.

Innovative information and communication technology is increasingly becoming

used in an operational environment in the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) sector.

The application of such innovative technologies is partly a result of the demand for

accurate and rapid damage information in a post-disaster situation. Once the

damage is assessed technological innovation can also play a crucial role in

monitoring aid allocation and guiding the reconstruction process.

Although technology such as remote sensing has existed for decades, the applicationof remote sensing to disaster recovery and reconstruction is still in its early days.

New concepts such as crowdsourcing are providing new ways of responding to

recovery and reconstruction challenges by leveraging the cognitive surplus of the

larger community. Online tools such as Development Assistance Database (DAD)

promote transparency by allowing governments and civil society to monitor andsupervise the flow of aid post -disaster and the reconstruction process.

The year 2010 redefined the role of Volunteer Technology Communities (VTCs) indisaster response and recovery. These volunteer experts who are most often

technical professionals with expertise in geographic information systems, databasemanagement, social media, and/or online campaignsapplied their skills to some of

the DRM process. Working inside communities like OpenStreetMap (OSM) and

Ushahidi, thousands of technologists responded to disasters in Haiti, Chile, Pakistan,

New Zealand and Japan. Volunteers processed imagery and created detailed maps in

areas where good base maps did not exist. These systems allow the local community

to take part in the decision-making process and data gathering process.


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Participation of the local community in the decision process is a key to successful

reconstruction, which these new communication tools have the potential to

facilitate further.

Innovation in Reconstruction 2.0 will focus on ICT innovations in the following three

phases of reconstruction:

i. damage assessment;ii. reconstruction planning; andiii. monitoring and evaluating recovery and reconstruction

Some technologies and techniques used in post-conflict reconstruction as well as

other humanitarian crisis situations that have the potential to be adopted in post-

disaster reconstruction are also discussed. One of the main objectives of this paperis to share the latest knowledge and best practices in innovation in reconstruction inorder to help institutionalize innovation in post-event damage assessment and the

long term recovery planning and reconstruction process. It will also serve as anentry point to open up discussions among the various reconstruction stakeholders

as well as the technology experts on the topic of where and how innovation can

assist in reconstruction. Some practical examples of the use of ICT in each stage ofthe reconstruction process will be introduced. The paper will conclude by

suggesting recommendations and future directions, with the ultimate goal ofmainstreaming ICT innovation into the reconstruction processes.


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1. Innovations in Damage AssessmentIn recent years, the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) methodology hasestablished itself as the standard methodology to assess the damage and loss

following a disaster event. The assessment is carried out for 17 sectors, for whichsome may not be assessed depending on the nature of the event that has occurred

and priorities assessed by the governments. The availability of quality baseline data

is often a decision criterion in prioritisation.

Collecting geographical data to create base maps

In times of disaster, relief activities are carried out in chaotic and dynamic

conditions in which multiple groups need to interact. First responders need to

quickly build a picture of where people are; what condition they are in; what theirneeds are; and what services are still available. This helps responders target their

efforts and mobilize their equipment, personnel, and supply resources.

Unfortunately, basic map and geographic data that may be a key component to

response is often not readily available in the onset of a disaster, which may lead to

duplication of efforts.

OSM and Google Map Maker are initiatives that help fill in this gap. Founded in 2004,

the original impetus for OSM was that data from the UK Ordnance Survey was costly

and came with restrictions on use. Citizens started collecting data through surveys

with GPS units. Similar to the Wikipedia framework, OSM allows anyone to edit the

map and add or edit information such as roads, businesses, parks, schools and more,

in many languages. This empowers people to share their local knowledge andexpertise. OSM currently has over 300,000 members and thousands of regular

contributors.

The Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) is a community within the larger

OSM umbrella. HOT produces data for humanitarian response and economicdevelopment purposes. The group started as an informal collaboration between

interested individuals and evolved into an incorporated organization in August

2010 that is now active in over a dozen countries. Ongoing projects undertaken by

the community include mapping for disaster risk reduction, capacity buildingaround OSM, and building custom software to target OSM tools to the needs of the

humanitarian community.

Only two years after its launch, Google Map Maker has made contributions to the

DRM community: in Vietnam after the country was hit by heavy flooding in 2009; in

Pakistan after a series of landslides in January 2010, and following Cyclon Nargis in

Myanmar in 2008, Google Map Maker was utilized to produce base maps. In the


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Myanmar case at Google 40 volunteers mapped 100,000 km of roads and 3,000

points of interest, in just four days maps created using Google Map Maker.

Map Maker reaches millions of people worldwide through integration in Google

Maps and Google Earth. Relief organizations and communities were able to producehelpful composite maps for areas where detailed information is usually unavailable

by leveraging the high-quality, up-to-date information provided by users in GoogleMap Maker.

Remote sensing and damage assessments:

During some recent disasters, remotely sensed images have been used to estimate

the damage to the PDNA housing sector. The 2005 Pakistan earthquake was the first

PDNA that used satellite imagery to assess the damage to buildings in the

earthquake affected regions. Since then, several damage assessments have utilised

satellite images and other remotely sensed data to collect damage data, often inplaces where access is difficult. At times, the purpose of using remote sensing was to

generate independent validation data to compare against the ground collected

damage data. The 2010 Haiti earthquake damage assessment marked a milestone, in

terms of the scale of analysis that was carried out as well as the way in which data

was collected.

Haiti: A 21stCentury Damage Assessment

In the hours following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the full scope of damage was only

beginning to be understood. Governments and multi-lateral organizations knew that

the level of damage was dramatic; however, they were unable to obtain the trueextent of the damage and its effect on the people of Haiti. This problem was

exacerbated by the lack of up-to-date map data and other quantitative information

describing the immediate pre-disaster situation.

Almost immediately after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, OSM contributors begantracing road information from pre-earthquake satellite imagery. Within 24 hours,

imagery providers began releasing raw imagery. In the first month after the

earthquake over 600 global volunteers helped add information to the map.

Volunteers created geographic products such as files for loading onto GPS units,

maps to be printed, online maps and components for map-making in GIS systems.

Information within OSM was integrated into systems created by other VTCs. Sahana

and OSM coordinated geolocation of hospital information between the two systemsand Ushahidi utilized OSM in locating SMS message sources. OSM data was used

across the organizational spectrum; including urban search and rescue teams, the

United Nations, The World Bank and Pan American Health Organization.1

1http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/WikiProject_Haiti#Uses_of_OpenStreetMap_data_by_crisis_respon

ders


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It was also clear that for the PDNA for the housing sector, an impact assessment

using remote sensing was the most viable option to obtain the full picture, due to

the spatial scale and magnitude of the Haiti disaster.

The UN Institute for Training and Researchs (UNITAR) Operational Satellite

Applications Programme (UNOSAT) provided the first glimpse of the devastationcaused by this earthquake by analyzing the numerous satellite data freely provided

by commercial organizations such as Google, Digital Globe and Geoeye. The rapid

mapping effort soon developed into a large scale effort to determine the extent and

impact of the disaster.

As part of this effort, the Global Earth Observation - Catastrophe Assessment

Network (GEO-CAN) was formed, supported by The World Bank. GEO-CAN

consisted of expert volunteers (VTC) that individually analyzed small assigned

segments of imagery that were acquired through The World Bank-ImageCat-

Rochester Institute of Technology and the Google aerial remote sensing campaigns.

In less than a week, GEO-CAN managed to produce a building-by-building

assessment of the damage caused by the earthquake in the greater Port-au Prince

area by visually comparing post-event imagery with pre-event satellite imagery. The

damage assessment identified collapsed and heavily damaged buildings (Grades 4

and 5, EMS-98) in Port-au-Prince, Carrefour, Delmas, Logne, Jacmel, Grand Goave

and Petit Goave. The pre-event image was used to digitize 30,000 footprints thatcorrespond to the damaged buildings identified in the post-event image and were

added into a GIS database.

As a result of all these efforts, an innovative and unprecedented partnership was

created between UNITAR/UNOSAT, the European Commission Joint ResearchCentre (JRC) and The World Bank with participation from the private sector and the

national authorities in charge of geospatial information in Haiti. The result was an

integrated large scale damage assessment for the entire area affected in which each

building damaged was accounted for and included in databases and then put at the

disposal of national authorities and field teams.

The results from the satellite/aerial imagery interpretation was independently

verified using field ground surveys and remote surveys by organizations including

UNOSAT, JRC, the Centre National dInformation Go-Spatial (CNIGS) representingthe government of Haiti, and other teams including: Cambridge Architectural

Research Ltd. (UK), Stanford University and Betero-Fierro-Perry, Inc. GEO-CANquickly grew to over 600 volunteers representing 131 private and academic

institutions in 23 different countries. Several strategic organizations participated informing the community, each with their own established expertise in engineering or

remote sensing, including the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI),

the UK-based Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT), MCEER


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and LESAM at the State University of New York at Buffalo, Georgia Tech University,

Cambridge University (UK), the University College London (UK), and Rochester

Institute of Technology (RIT).

The global response to the Haiti earthquake was remarkable in many ways. Within

days, the most recently collected satellite and aerial imagery was publicly availablethrough Google, Yahoo! and Bing searches and by the end of January, anyone could

access up to half a dozen post-event images for any one area around greater Port-

au-Prince. Data from different missions, including: The World Bank-ImageCat-RIT

Remote Sensing Mission (15 cm optical and 2 points per m2 LiDAR); Google (15 cm

optical); NOAA (25 cm optical); Pictometry; and satellite imagery from GeoEye and

Digitalglobe, allowed damage from the Haiti earthquake to be viewed through

multiple sensors and at different times. It was through these international

understandings and the dedication of time and resources by GEO-CAN affiliates, as

well as the experts at UNOSAT, JRC and The World Bank that a comprehensive and

scientifically rigorous damage assessment was achieved via this VTC.

Today as Haiti rebuilds itself, its government, citizens and its technical agencies can

rely on comprehensive geospatial data, a better understanding of its territory, and

enhanced capacity to harness technology to face the fundamental problems of

territorial development.

2010 Pakistan Floods damage and needs assessment using remote sensing

The Pakistan floods of summer 2010 continued for three months, causing damage inalmost every province of the country. The heavy rain that continued for more than

three weeks in the north west of Pakistan caused many flash floods in the area andthe resulting inundation moved southwards gradually until it reached the sea. The

geographical extent as well as the length of period that the inundation continued

made the event an exceptional one. The media were reporting in the early days that

almost one fifth of the country was under water, and millions of people were being

affected.

Pakistan is a country that is prone to natural disasters, including earthquakes, floods

and monsoons and, as a result, is experienced in carrying out Post-disaster needs

assessments (PDNA). The World Bank together with the Asian Development Bank,under the auspices of the Pakistan Government, had successfully collaborated in two

previous natural disaster events (the 2005 Pakistan earthquake and 2007 Monsoon)to produce a PDNA. In both events, the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research

Commission (SUPARCO) provided support in terms of mapping the extent ofdamage using remotely sensed data, i.e. satellite image interpretation. Given the

magnitude and geographical extent of the 2010 floods, satellite images were again


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employed to provide estimates of the damage to several of the PDNA sectors within

the joint assessment team.

To map the damage caused by floods, the inundation extent must first be mapped. Inthe early days, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images

with 250m spatial resolution were used to delineate the extent of inundation on adaily basis. However, taking advantage of SUPARCOs receiving station for the

French optical satellite image SPOT in Islamabad, SPOT-4 and 5 images were

eventually used to map the inundation extent on a daily basis for the three months

that the inundation continued until mid October 2010. The use of optical images

meant that cloud cover was sometimes an obstacle in providing complete mapping.

These extent maps were used to create a maximum inundation extent map, which

formed the basis of the subsequent damage estimation processes for the PDNA

sector specific damage assessments.

The flood of 2010 Pakistan was the first event where the joint assessment protocol,

the Collaborative Satellite Assessment (CoSA) was activated to produce the damage

assessment procedure using remote sensing. CoSA is a collaboration between the

remote sensing teams of the European Commission Joint Research Center (JRC),

UNOSAT and The World Banks Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery

(GFDRR) Labs team. Damage estimates for four sectors, namely: housing,

agriculture, transportation and irrigation were provided using SPOT satellite data.The purpose of these damage estimates was to validate the order of magnitude of

the field collected damage estimates reported by the field teams of the provincial

governments in Pakistan.

The results of the damage assessment were used to different extents in the finalPDNA report produced by The World Bank and Asian Development Bank due to the

variation in the degree of success. This was a result of the varied understanding of

the damage assessment procedures adopted by the sectors and by the remote

sensing team, as well as data limitations. Based on these experiences a standardized

operational procedure for remote sensing based damage assessment for each sector

is currently being drafted in collaboration with sector experts.


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2. Reconstruction planningDue to the fact that the reconstruction planning differs drastically from case to case,planning has traditionally been done on an ad-hoc basis, taking into account local

factors such as the resources available, future risk from various hazards, socio-economic and political landscape, culture and the environment. In the recent years,

attempts have been made to better understand the decision making process

undertaken during recovery planning with a view to standardise the general

processes. A flexible and comprehensive standardised planning methodology will

help make the decision-makers aware of all the issues associated withreconstruction planning, as well as take advantage of all the options available,

including the areas in which innovative ICT tools can be applied. Currently, of the

three phases of reconstruction (i.e. immediate response, planning and long-term

reconstruction) ICT is utilised least in the reconstruction planning process. In thissection, potential areas in which ICT could be used for planning will be described.

One of the areas where ICT could contribute in a major way is in site planning.

During the reconstruction planning, risks from future potential natural disasters on

the site being planned should be assessed to be prepared for future natural disaster

events. The application of risk modelling techniques, typically used in the re-

insurance field, to assess such risk as part of the reconstruction planning is

becoming common. The core technical components of a risk assessment include

analysis of the hazard (i.e. assessing the likelihood of a certain type and magnitude

of natural hazard to occur over a given period of time), exposure (i.e. collect

information on the characteristics of the buildings and infrastructure in the area)

and vulnerability (i.e. assess how vulnerable the exposure is against the likelyhazards to occur in the area). Assessment of the hazard requires input from experts;

however, collecting information of the exposure is an area that VTC based ICT toolscan make a contribution. Some examples have been demonstrated for risk

assessment studies in the Central American countries2. Integrated within these

activities, it is critical to have efforts devoted to stakeholder engagement, use-caseor application definition, and data management.

Often past risk assessments have not been effective because the intended use of the

output by the stakeholder was not clearly understood at the beginning of theassessment process. Having a well-defined use of the assessment result serves to

focus the scope of the risk assessment at the component level by defining the

resolution of the optimal input data to be used and the characteristics of the

vulnerability data that should be developed. Generic risk assessments, those

2The Central American Probabilistic Risk Assessment (CAPRA) initiative has produced several risk

assessments in the region, see www.ecapra.org for more information


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without strong stakeholder engagement, often yield results that are not appropriate

for the actual problems faced by the community. Risk assessment applications that

enable stakeholders to make informed decisions about disaster and climate risk are

key to successful reconstruction planning.

Following the initial response phase, OSM has been constantly updated. TheHumanitarian OSM Team (HOT) started training people in data collection and

utilization, supported by the European Commission for Humanitarian Aid and Civil

Protection (ECHO), The World Bank and the International Organization for

Migration (IOM). Over 400 people were trained from diverse backgrounds,

including the various UN Clusters, Haitian NGOs and ordinary people. The collected

information is being further utilized. For instance IOM is using the road data from

OSM to register over a million internally displaced person (IDP) within Haiti. IOM is

in the process of including OSM maps in information kiosks within the IDP camps.

HOT plans to continue capacity building in Haiti.

HOT also will continue to formalize relationships between response agencies and

serve as a bridge between those groups and the larger OSM community.

Additionally the group will continue to work on obtaining compatible licenses for

already existing data to import into OSM. HOT is also exploring how OSM data can

be used in risk assessment with international organizations.

Other OSM ongoing projects in Haiti include the mapping of cholera treatment

facilities and other water and sanitation infrastructure to help coordinate cholera

response and surveying emergency shelters in the run-up to the rainy and hurricaneseasons. The results of the shelter surveying will help IOM plan shelter construction

priorities over the next few months.

Promoting Open Risk Data

When planning for reconstruction, baseline data, including pre-event data as well as

immediate post-event situation data, serves as the starting point. Baseline data

should also include existing short- and mid-term development plans. In practice,

many of the relevant information sets that constitute the baseline are held by a wide

variety of organizations in national governments (e.g. various Ministries,

Department of Surveying), regional and local governments (councils,municipalities), local communities, private enterprises and possibly other national

or international actors (UN, NGOs). A key role of ICT lies in its capability to identifyand provide controlled access to such data sets and provide those to the relevant

players in the post-disaster phase. Access to this data that can facilitate theplanning process is crucial to devise a realistic and effective reconstruction plan.

There are many tools available that promote the sharing and open dissemination of

risk data that help stakeholders address the challenges of storing and serving


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geospatial information. Integrating data management strategy into the risk

assessment process is an important value-added to the stakeholders that extends

beyond the life and typically scope of such a project.


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3. Measuring, monitoring and evaluating long-term reconstructionOnce the reconstruction plans are in place, the progress, both in terms of resourceallocation as well as the physical reconstruction, should be monitored and

evaluated. Reconstruction is planned and implemented sector by sector. Therefore,the monitoring and evaluation would also be carried out by sector. The executing

agencies as well as donors often have their own monitoring and evaluation in place

which will be used in this framework. The monitoring and evaluation requirements

would vary from sector to sector; however, in general there are two qualities that

can be measured for all sectors, i.e. the speedand quality. Speed is important to keepmarkets functioning and to prevent further losses. But speed is generally not

accepted if it is at the expense of quality. A pre-disaster plan may ensure a fast, high

quality recovery. Furthermore, it may be used to measure the success of the

process3.

A standardisation process similar to the PDNA is being undertaken for long term

reconstruction planning and monitoring by the international community. Following

the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004, the countries affected came together, realising

the importance of tracking the reconstruction in these countries for accountability.

The Tsunami Recovery Impact Assessment and Monitoring System (TRIAMS)

created a comprehensive framework where the reconstruction would be monitored

using indicators. The indicators were created for the following four categories: vital

needs, basic social services, infrastructure and livelihoods. Within each of these

sectors, indicators were defined and outcomes measured. Based on this

methodology using indictors, an innovative project that aims to monitor and

evaluate long term reconstruction was piloted in Thailand and Pakistan as casestudy sites.

Monitoring and evaluating recovery after the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami

(Thailand) and 2005 Pakistan earthquake using remote sensing

Remote sensing is also currently being used in an innovative way in the field of

monitoring and evaluating recovery after natural disasters. The ReBuilDD group,

which consists of researchers based at the University of Cambridge, Department of

Architecture (UK), ImageCat Ltd (UK) and Cambridge Architectural Research Ltd(UK), has been focusing on developing methodologies for monitoring and evaluating

recovery after natural disasters using two case study sites: Ban Nam Khem, a fishing

village on the west coast of Thailand following the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami; and

Chella Bandi in Muzzafrabad, Pakistan, following the 2005 earthquake.

3Schwab, (1998) Planning for post-disaster recovery and reconstruction .Chicago: American Planning

Association.


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The aim of the research was to first develop a standardized set of indicators that can

be used to monitor and evaluate recovery using remotely sensed data. For some

indicators, a combination of the use of other datasets, such as secondary data or

direct observation data collection methods such as key informant surveys or videocapturing, with remote sensing was considered. The key aspect of the project was to

address the cost effectiveness of using one or a combination of the three datacollection methods.

At the onset of the project, a user survey was carried out to identify the data

requirements of the end user for monitoring reconstruction. Experts from 17

organizations including international organizations, NGOs and international donors

responded to the survey. Existing frameworks of monitoring recovery were also

consulted, examples including the TRIAMS indicators as well as the Sphere

guidelines and the Millennium Development Goals. Guided by these existing

international frameworks, as well as the steer from the external steering committee

members including senior experts from The World Banks GFDRR, a total of 13

indicators have been defined, and were categorized in terms of ease of data

collection using remotely sensed data. The data collection and analysis

methodologies for the indicators, resources and technical skills required as well as

best practice notes have been provided in the technical report Disaster Recovery

Indicators4. The ReBuilDD team is currently in the process of operationalising the

monitoring and evaluation process with further funding from the Engineering andPhysical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), UK.

Figure 1 shows the conceptual work flow of remote sensing tasks that can assist therecovery planning decision making for the housing sector. The work flow was

adapted from the owner-driven housing reconstruction work flow published byIFRC in 20105.

4www.carltd.com/downloads.htm5IFRC (2010) Owner-driven housing reconstruction guidelines, IFRC, Geneva


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Figure 1. Remote sensing tasks that can aid the recovery planning decision making process for thehousing sector

Transparency in reconstruction aid and resource allocation

The lack of finance is one of the most significant factors that prevent reconstructionfrom happening. This may arise due to a shortage of capital, a lack of government

support or a complex application process for funding. Lack of transparency in aid

allocation is also a big issue that could affect the reconstruction outcome. The

method used to allocate aid and resources to the affected communities may also

affect the recovery trajectory. For instance, a comparison of three earthquakes

found that the relief phases were very similar, but the provision of temporaryshelters varied dramatically6. In Japan, rental housing was provided to the poor,

whilst in Turkey the Government constructed new public houses and in Taiwan,

economic subsidies were provided to rebuild and purchase new houses.

6Nakabayashi and T. Ichiko (2004) Comparative study of urban and housing reconstruction process

during five years after earthquake among Japan, Taiwan and Turkey. 1st International Conference of

Urban Disaster Reduction. Kobe, Japan. 19 January 2004


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An innovative example of tracking the flow of aid was demonstrated following the

Indian Ocean Tsunami in the form of the Development Assistance Database (DAD).

The DAD is a web-based aid management system that has been implemented inmore than 30 countries7. Developed and maintained by Synergy inc., in close

cooperation with the UN Development Program (UNDP), it allows informationcollection, tracking, analysis, planning and monitoring of aid given for recovery and

reconstruction projects8.

The degree of success in the implementation of the DAD varies from case to case.

The web-based interface enables the public to gain access to the information on aid

flow, which helps increase the transparency of the resource allocation. The booklet

published by UNISDR and the GFDRR titled Tracking the Money9 provides an

overview of the use of DAD in various countries. It compares five different financial

tracking systems, including DAD, in terms of the advantages and disadvantages. It

also discusses the challenges that these aid-tracking systems face, including the lack

of a standardized and tested methodology, difficulty in data quality control,

interpreting the outputs to make the data useful for the decision makers, amongst

other issues.

Monitoring of reconstruction of infrastructure (Lebanon)

Systems like DAD are geared towards the tracking of aid flow at a macro-economic

level, for instance, to monitor international donor activities by economic sector or

sub-national administrative unit (region, provinces) and help steer complementaryinternational and national reconstruction efforts. The system does not identify

individual beneficiaries, or localize sponsored project activities, which carries therisk of multiple financing, duplication of efforts and under-financing of identified

needs at the local level.

Following the 2006 armed conflict in South Lebanon, the European Unions

Directorate General EuropeAid Development Coperation (AIDCO) tasked the Joint

Research Centre to prototype an ICT solution for the tracking of individual

infrastructure projects, which the EU financed as part of the overall reconstruction

effort managed by the Council for the Reconstruction and Development of Lebanon.

The project was developed as a geospatial extension that was synchronized with thealpha-numerical project registration system, which was maintained by a third party.

7As of February 2011

8Agustina, C. D., (2008), Tracking the money international experience with financial informationsystems and databases for reconstruction, UN ISDR and The World Bank9Ibid.


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For each project, the full history of project implementation was made accessible as

geo-tagged project information, starting from the projects blue print and

documented, over time, with GPS-tagged field photographs of the subsequent

project phases. The system includes a simple web mapping interface, allowing usersto upload information and zoom into the level of individual project locations, at

which the project chronology can be reviewed in a photo-gallery [Fig reference].Collection of projects can easily be mapped by sector or type, and then compared to

updated satellite imagery to monitor overall progress in reconstruction.

The system is built with open source software components and particularly well

tailored to physical infrastructure projects (buildings, roads, waterworks, etc.). Geo-

tagging functionality is provided as uploads of time-stamped GPS-tagged

photography or digitization against high resolution image maps. The various

components easily tie into other functional components (e.g. financial tracking

systems) that are either propriety or open source solutions. Interfaces can be

designed to address particular audiences, including communities that benefit

directly from the reconstruction efforts. Although this system was developed for

post-conflict aid tracking, similar systems can easily be adopted for post-disaster aid

tracking.

Innovation in communication tools: Ushahidi

Ushahidi, which means testimony in Swahili, was launched during the post-

election violence in Kenya in January 2008. Ushahidi is a free and open-source

platform for collaborative live mapping that integrates information collected byemail, voicemail, SMS, Twitter, web forms, YouTube, Flickr, Facebook, Skype, and

other social media. The purpose of the Ushahidi platform is to democratize livemapping by creating a live map of needs.

The Ushahidi platform is used by professional organizations and volunteer-

networks around the world to create more transparency and accountability across

multiple sectors. Since its launch, Ushahidi has been used in over 30 countries, foruses including:

y Community mapping of social services in slumsy Documenting armed conflicty Monitoring election fraudy Assessing the impact of major environmental disastersy Tracking crime in metropolitan areas


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These maps have proven to be invaluable tools for first responders. After the 2010

Haiti earthquake, the U.S. Marine Corps used the Ushahidi mapped information and

stated that the data helped them save hundreds of lives. The U.S. Coast Guard also

used the information mapped on Ushahidi-Haiti for operational response. FEMAAdministrator Craig Fugate called the Ushahidi-Haiti map the most comprehensive

and up-to-date map available to the humanitarian community.

Showing vision and direction, Ushahidi is supporting the launch of a Standby

Volunteer Task Force to provide humanitarian organizations with a surge capacity

in crisis mapping following a disaster. In addition, Ushahidi is also launching the

Universities for Ushahidi (U4U) initiative to train teams of students at universities

around the world on how to use the Ushahidi platform.

Ushahidi for Haiti

Ushahidi provided a way to capture, organize, and share critical information coming

directly from Haitians after the earthquake in January 2010. Traditionally,

information is collected by the international organizations, and access to these

organizations is somewhat limited for a local person who wants to report an

incident. During the emergency phase after the Haiti earthquake, information was

gathered through social media (e.g., blogs, Twitter, and Facebook) and text

messages sent via mobile phones. This was possible due to the quick repair of themobile phone masts10 and also due to the fact that approximately 85% of the

population in Haiti had access to a mobile phone.

Within four days of the earthquake, a dedicated phone number was set up for

information to be sent by the local population. Reports about trapped persons,medical emergencies, and specific needs, such as food, water, and shelter, were

received and plotted on maps that were updated in real time by an international

group of volunteers located outside Haiti. These reports, and associated geographic

information, were available to anyone with an Internet connection. On the fourth

day following the earthquake, responders on the ground soon began to use them in

determining how, when, and where to direct resources.

Once the emergency phase was over, Ushahidi started being used for other purposes

during the following reconstruction phase. Two projects are being carried out usingUshahidi during the reconstruction phase; building local capacity to operate similar

systems for future events and developing a human rights observatory tool. The

10Summer, M., (2010) The Value of Information and Communication Technologies in Humanitarian Relief

Efforts, Innovations Special Edition for the 2010 Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative, MIT

press


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challenge the Ushahidi community faces now is to seek ways to mainstream the data

collection process into the official DRM processes11.

11Heinzelman , J., and Waters, C., (2010) Crowdsourcing Crisis Information in Disaster-Affected Haiti ,

Special Report, United States Institute of Peace, Washington D.C.


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Challenges

In summary, recovery is a multidimensional process that involves many

stakeholders. It is undeniable that technology is starting to change the way in whichdisaster response and reconstruction is dealt with. The data collection

methodologies which were traditionally done using internal channels of the officialinternational communities have now been opened up to methodologies that

involves the participation of either VTCs or the local communities, the very

survivors of the disaster themselves, or both. Tools such as remotely sensed data

are widely being used as an independent means of collecting, analyzing and

displaying data. Having access to these latest, cutting edge technologies will

ultimately require the reconsideration of the way in which response and

reconstruction is carried out. As the standardization of the various response and

reconstruction methodologies take place, these new initiatives should be considered

and leveraged as much as possible. These technological advances present the

opportunity to enhance and extend existing approaches, with new methods for

responding, planning, measuring, monitoring and evaluating reconstruction that are

systematic and objective. Tools developed for post-conflict situations should also be

considered for use in post-disaster reconstruction.

Mainstreaming innovation in operational methodologies

The main challenge that the response and reconstruction community faces is

mainstreaming and integrating innovation into the operational methodologies. This

mainstreaming has just begun within these communities. Legal frameworks must be

put in place that allows the two worlds to co-exist. The hardware and softwareinfrastructure that allows the technology to function needs to be put in place. Acommunication channel needs to be established between the stakeholders. The

developers need to understand the needs of the practitioners on the ground and the

operational procedures of the practitioners. In return, the practitioners must engage

with the technology experts to make sure that the outputs are what they expect.

There will be situations where it may not be appropriate to apply technology to

response and reconstruction. Some reasons that will hinder the success of an ICT

project in disaster situations are listed below, which also include the various

limitations of such an application.

Capacity constraints

Another challenge includes capacity constraints: the inability to deploy ICT to its full

potential can be caused by capacity constraints such as a lack of technical skills and

limited resources to provide training in a time restricted environment; poor

infrastructure in country; and governance and transparency issues.


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Limited baseline data

Often there is a lack of or limited baseline data available for risk assessments. New

techniques to collect data are necessary, as well as the development of a centralizeddata platform to share and access data are necessary. Data preparedness is also a

key issue, which needs to be tackled during peace time.


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Recommendations and future directions

It is now considered critical that citizens are involved in decision-making

throughout the recovery process. Social capital and community organisations withstrong leadership are crucial to ensure a fast recovery and to provide maximum

satisfaction to the community12. National recovery programs should therefore beflexible and incorporate local opinion. It is also important that communities are

provided with adequate guidance and technical support. For instance, after the Chi-

Chi Earthquake, residents complained of a lack of technical information from

engineers, which led to construction that did not comply with local building codes13.

Technical know-how that can help increase the resilience of the built environment

already exists. For instance, the Confined Masonry Network was created for just this

purpose, i.e. to demonstrate how confined masonry buildings can be built in a way

that is resistant to earthquakes. Knowledge transfer from the expert community to

the local community is essential.

The key to the continued development and success of employing innovation in the

reconstruction process will lie in whether the technology experts and the DRM

practitioners can collaborate in a manner that allows the needs to be identified. The

technology experts must ensure that the systems developed produce the outputs or

data that is useful and usable to the practitioners. Innovation in technology ishappening at a rapid rate, new technologies are likely to be proposed for purposes

that we cannot imagine today. Patience and persistence will be required on all sides

while the various technologies mature and are mainstreamed. Standardization ofthe methodologies and procedures, including quality control procedures, as well as

setting up legal frameworks for the collaboration are some of the high priorityissues that needs to be dealt with. Defining in what situation these various

methodologies would make sense to adopt is another key issue that needs to be

defined by undertaking benefit-cost analysis, involving both the experts and the

practitioners.

Investment in preparedness, both in terms of baseline data and standardization of

operational procedures, is likely to pay off in the long run and is an area that

requires urgent attention. Initiatives such as the open data initiative by the GFDRR

Labs or the UN Geographical Information Working Group (UNGIWG) shouldaccelerate the exchange and creation of common key datasets among the various

stakeholders. The continued goal of the mission here is to encourage innovation in

12A. Fujieda, R.Y. Nakagawa, R. Shaw, H. Kobayashi, and M. Kobayashi, (2004)Roles of social capital and

community organizations in the recovery process: Experience from Kobe and Gujurat Earthquakes. 1st

International Conference of Urban Disaster Reduction. Kobe, Japan. 19 January 200413

Yu, C-C. Could home be re-built? Lesson learned from Taiwan 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake recovery. 1st

International Conference of Urban Disaster Reduction. Kobe, Japan. 19 January 2004.


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reconstruction that meets the needs of the executing agencies and the communities

on the ground, for an efficient reconstruction that aids the swift recovery of the

disaster affected communities.

WRC Thematic Session Background Paper - Innovation in Reconstruction 2.0

Documents

Transcript of WRC Thematic Session Background Paper - Innovation in Reconstruction 2.0