A global review of disaster reduction initiatives - Welcome to the ...

4Living with Risk: A global review of disaster reduction initiatives156LimitationsThe exponential growth in the volume ofsources and data also poses continuing challenges for the processing and dissemination ofmeaningful information. Users find it everharder to assess the accuracy, veracity, and insome cases, the validity of the content. Whilesystematic gathering and timely provision ofinformation are keys to ensuring the effectiveuse of information, processes of sorting,analysing and targeting information for primaryinterest groups are at least as important toavoid information overload and confusionamong users.Moreover, there is a growing tendency formany information providers to rely on increasinglysophisticated means of electronic communication,thereby excluding many potentialLack of information-or lack of access?As conveyed in the regional ISDR report which tookaccount of conditions in Southern Africa, but which nodoubt apply elsewhere, there are many countries inwhich a wealth of disaster risk information exists inarchived form: hydrometeorological data, early land-userecords, historical natural resource conditions, waterrecords and related issues. Such information might berecorded in an unsuitable form, or more seriously, mightnot be readily accessible because of restricted institutionalor technical reasons. These might include conditionsin which,• Data is retained or restricted under presumed securityconsiderations, or as an institutional powerbase;• Inadequate cross-sectoral reference or communicationabout the existence of data so that other potentialusers are not aware of the information;• Compilation and dissemination of information arenot considered a priority by organizations;• Information is maintained in specialist, non-standard,incompatible or even archaic formats;• Information that exists in spatial or other formatscan be costly to convert into more readily accessibleformats;• Data compilers might not have consulted potentialusers about their respective data requirements soavailable data are not structured to easily addressthe needs of either current or subsequent users.users that live in impoverished areas. Whilesome institutions have been hesitant to adapt tonew forms of communication and technologies,many others now rely on electronic communicationsor web site access for information thatis often beyond the reach of the people mostvulnerable to disasters.Several factors have hindered the developmentof efficient information systems for general use,while other constraints might be more institutionalin nature. Several commentators in Africahave conveyed to the ISDR secretariat theirview that the provision of timely, definitiveinformation remains problematic throughoutall aspects of disaster management responsibilities.A response from Bangladesh to an ISDRsurvey on the status of disaster reduction shareda common concern voiced by other countries aswell. Their concern results from the fact thatvarious government agencies, internationalorganizations, technical organizations or academicinstitutions, as well as NGOs, all producedata and information relevant to disasterrisk management processes. The need of individualorganizations or external donor agenciesto have adequate information for their own programmeinterests has motivated most agenciesto develop information systems that cannot easilybe applied to other settings.While many of them are involved in variousprojects concerned with hazard and risk issuesor land-use planning, no commonly acknowledgedfocal point exists to provide easy or consistentaccess to such information. As a consequence,important data or information relatedto risk maps, or associated public awarenessand education programmes about hazards,might either be scattered or confined amonglibraries, individual government offices, academiaor individual technical programmes withno common point of access.An appreciation of initiativesaround the worldThere are numerous examples that illustratehow information management, innovativecommunication practices about hazards andvarious professional initiatives associated withdisaster issues, have helped to advance publicunderstanding and professional involvement indisaster risk reduction in recent years.