Consultancy Report for United Nations - Department of Humanitarian Affairs: South Pacific Programme Office, Suva, Fiji Review and Analysis of Requirements for Disaster Management Information Systems - South Pacific Region R.S. Stephenson Final Report London - 2 November 1995 Consultancy study under a special service agreement with the Department of Development Support and Management Services, United Nations, New York 2 Table Of Contents Introduction And Overview Main Report: Section 1 Disaster Information Systems: The South Pacific Context Section 2 Design Principles For Disaster Management Information Systems Section 3 The Need For Improved Information Systems For Damage Inventory Section 4 Improved Relief Supply Management Section 5 Implementing Disaster Management Information Systems Section 6 Information Requirements For Regional Mitigation Programmes Section 7 The Role Of Pilot/Demonstration Studies In Regional Mitigation Programmes Section 8 Regional Information Strategies For Mitigation Section 9 Technical Information And Regional Library Systems For Disaster Management Section 10 Future Prospects For Library And Information Services For Disaster Management Section 11 Implementing Regional Library And Technical Information Systems For Disaster Management Section 12 Technical Aspects Of Systems Design For Damage Inventory Section 13 Introducing Information Management Tools For Disaster Mitigation Studies Technical Annexes Bibliography _________________________________________ UNDHA-South Pacific Programme Office: Review of Regional Information System Requirements R.S. Stephenson Final 2 Nov 1995 3 List of Abbreviations ADPC Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre, Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, Thailand ATC Air Traffic Control CAD Computer Aided Design CD-ROM Compact Disk - Read-Only Memory CDC United States Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CNA Certified Netware Administrator (Novell Inc.) CRED Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, Brussels, Belgium DHA-SPPO United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs, South Pacific Programme Office, Suva, Fiji EIS Emergency Information System EOC Emergency Operations Centre ESCAP Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific FEWS Famine Early Warning System FIDO FidoNet: a point-to-point and store-and-forward email network using the direct dial telephone system FLIS Fiji Land Information System GIS Geographic Information System GUI Graphical User Interface HTML Hypertext Mark-up Language IDNDR International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction IT Information Technology LEO Low Earth Orbit (Communications Satellite Systems) _________________________________________ UNDHA-South Pacific Programme Office: Review of Regional Information System Requirements R.S. Stephenson Final 2 Nov 1995 4 LN:DI Lotus Notes: Document Imaging (Lotus Corporation) LPG Liquid Petroleum Gas MMI Modified Mercalli Intensity NGO Non-Governmental Organization NHC Natural Hazards Center, Boulder, Colorado, USA NOAA United States, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration OAS Organization of American States OCR Optical Character Recognition OFDA United States, Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance PAHO Pan American Health Organization PIDP Pacific Island Development Programme PPP Point to Point Protocol SGML Structured Graphics Mark-up Language SLIP Serial Line Internet Protocol SOPAC South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission SPC South Pacific Commission SQL Structured Query Language SUMA Supply Management Project in the Aftermath of Disasters (PAHO) TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund UPS Uninterruptable Power Supply USAID United States Agency for International Development USGS United States Geological Service _________________________________________ UNDHA-South Pacific Programme Office: Review of Regional Information System Requirements R.S. Stephenson Final 2 Nov 1995 5 UUCP Unix to Unix Copy (Protocols) VHF Very High Frequency VITA Volunteers in Technical Assistance WAIS Wide Area Information Server WHO World Health Organization WWW World Wide Web _________________________________________ UNDHA-South Pacific Programme Office: Review of Regional Information System Requirements R.S. Stephenson Final 2 Nov 1995 6 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW 1. Mission Background This consultancy was carried out by Dr. R.S. Stephenson between June and September 1995. Working closely with the UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs South Pacific Programme Office (DHA-SPPO) in Suva, Fiji, fact-finding interviews and analyses were carried out in Fiji, Port Vila in Vanuatu, and the Cook Islands. Discussions were held in each country with national and local government administrative staff, managers from national telecommunications and electricity companies, and with UN and NGO staff. Additional interviews were held at DHA-Geneva. Library reviews and searches were carried out in Geneva, at the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok, and in the UK. The Terms of Reference for the study are appended. The author gratefully acknowledges the support and assistance provided by the national authorities in Fiji, Vanuatu, and the Cook Islands. It has been a pleasure to work with senior disaster management staff in these countries. Special thanks are due to Mr. Joseph Chung and all the staff of DHA-SPPO Suva, for their close interest and hospitality, sharing of comprehensive local knowledge, and introductions to a wide range of organizations and individuals; and to Luc Vrolijks of UN-DHA Geneva, for his capable administrative guidance, and thoughtful and incisive inputs over the duration of the project. 2. The South Pacific Disaster Reduction Project: Information Management Aspects Key objectives of the South Pacific Disaster Reduction Project (SPRDP) are to improve national capacities in the South Pacific region to mitigate, prepare for and respond to natural disasters; to provide technical support materials; and to achieve a sustainable mechanism for regional co-operation. The project activities are intended to assist Pacific Island countries to implement strategies for disaster reduction, as formulated within the framework of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR). One of the main project components involves Information Management, with SPPO involved directly or indirectly in the following activities: _________________________________________ UNDHA-South Pacific Programme Office: Review of Regional Information System Requirements R.S. Stephenson Final 2 Nov 1995 7 · Developing and adapting appropriate computer systems for information management. This includes developing and testing databases and reviewing and adapting international disaster management software for the Pacific region · Providing hardware, installing software and providing training to allow disaster management officials to effectively use the systems. In addition, technical assistance will be provided to countries to help them set up their own databases · Analysing communication systems in the region to assess their potential for improving co-operation and for linking disaster management offices, and helping to disseminate disaster related information. · The use of information systems to allow an overview of disaster-related activities in project countries, including those implemented by countries, regional organizations and donors. · Collecting and disseminating technical information on disaster management to countries, donors, and regional organizations. A number of steps were taken by DHA-SPPO early on. These included in early 1995 the distribution to national administrations of microcomputers (standard 486 compatible PCs with Windows software) provided as part of the Chinese Government's contribution to the project; and the assignment of an experienced local consultant to configure the donated equipment, to establish network facilities in the DHA-SPPO office and to assist with programming and other requirements. The present consultancy is intended to augment and provide a framework for these information initiatives. Terms of Reference are appended. The consultancy has focused on a range of components for an information management system that can be applied at the national level and adapted for application at the regional level, within the technical and environmental constraints commonly found in the region. Topics covered include: · Damage assessment · Resource allocation and tracking for emergency relief · Emergency management information · Reconstruction planning · Disaster mitigation · Baseline data · Access to regional and international knowledge _________________________________________ UNDHA-South Pacific Programme Office: Review of Regional Information System Requirements R.S. Stephenson Final 2 Nov 1995 8 This overview summarises the findings, and the main report provides a detailed analysis of the requirements and strategies for implementation. In addition the following products have been developed in the region as part of this project: a prototype damage inventory database (using Microsoft Access v2); a collection of learning materials on database development; a set of checklists and forms; a set of bibliographic databases on disaster management and mitigation; a prototype lessons learned database; a collection of software necessary for Internet connections; and facilities for electronic document exchange. 3. The State of Disaster Information Systems in the South