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Tiago Badre Marino, Bruno Santos Do Nascimento, & Marcos R. S. Borges. (2012). GIS supporting data gathering and fast decision making in emergencies situations. In Z.Franco J. R. L. Rothkrantz (Ed.), ISCRAM 2012 Conference Proceedings – 9th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Vancouver, BC: Simon Fraser University.
Abstract: This proposal rises from the Center for Disasters Scientific Support experience over eleven years supporting over a hundred disasters in Latin America. It also presents a case study applied to landslides assessments in Teresopolis (Brazil) city, when all field-generated knowledge was still registered in paper and later, at the base station, uploaded to database and finally available for managers evaluation and decision. The proposed methodology creates a platform (still under development) which allows online registration from different field agents during their evaluations enabling data upload combining mobile devices and telecommunication network (or Wi-Fi) technologies. Teams can also customize forms for different information classes (i.e. landslide assessment, rescued person, blocked road) and still retain the possibility to attach images, videos, other files related to each inspection. Incoming data are stored into a web database available for a real-time coordinators evaluation wherever they are (sometimes over a thousand of miles away from disaster area). © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Susannah McClendon, & Anthony C. Robinson. (2012). Leveraging geospatially-oriented social media communications in disaster response. In Z.Franco J. R. L. Rothkrantz (Ed.), ISCRAM 2012 Conference Proceedings – 9th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Vancouver, BC: Simon Fraser University.
Abstract: Geospatially-oriented social media communications have emerged as a common information resource to support crisis management. Our research compares the capabilities of two popular systems used to collect and visualize such information – Project Epic's Tweak the Tweet (TtT) and Ushahidi. Our research uses geospatially-oriented social media gathered by both projects during recent disasters to compare and contrast the frequency, content, and location components of contributed information to both systems. We compare how data was gathered and filtered, how spatial information was extracted and mapped, and the mechanisms by which the resulting synthesized information was shared with response and recovery organizations. In addition, we categorize the degree to which each platform in each disaster led to actions by first responders and emergency managers. Based on the results of our comparisons we identify key design considerations for future social media mapping tools to support crisis management. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Melanie Eckle, & João Porto de Albuquerque. (2015). Quality Assessment of Remote Mapping in OpenStreetMap for Disaster Management Purposes. In L. Palen, M. Buscher, T. Comes, & A. Hughes (Eds.), ISCRAM 2015 Conference Proceedings ? 12th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Kristiansand, Norway: University of Agder (UiA).
Abstract: Over the last couple of years Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) and particularly OpenStreetMap (OSM) have emerged as an important additional source of information in disaster management. The so-called OSM Crisis Maps are primarily developed by OSM contributors who work remotely. While local OSM contributors know their area of interest and rely upon local knowledge, often the sole basis for the remote mapping is satellite imagery. This fact may raise doubts about the quality of the Crisis Maps. This study introduces an experimental approach to assess the data quality that remote mappers produce. In an experimental setting, data sets produced by a group of remote mappers are evaluated by comparing them to data sets created by a selected expert mapper with local knowledge. The presented approach proved to be useful for assessing data quality of remote mapping and can be used to support decisions about the suitability of crowdsourced geographic data.
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Melanie Eckle, João Porto de Albuquerque, Benjamin Herfort, Alexander Zipf, Richard Leiner, Rüdiger Wolff, et al. (2016). Leveraging OpenStreetMap to Support Flood Risk Management in Municipalities: A Prototype Decision Support System. In A. Tapia, P. Antunes, V.A. Bañuls, K. Moore, & J. Porto (Eds.), ISCRAM 2016 Conference Proceedings ? 13th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
Abstract: Floods are considered the most common and devastating type of disasters world-wide. Therefore, flood management is a crucial task for municipalities- a task that requires dependable information to evaluate risks and to react accordingly in a disaster scenario. Acquiring and maintaining this information using official data however is not always feasible, especially for smaller municipalities. This issue could be approached by integrating the collaborative maps of OpenStreetMap (OSM). The OSM data is openly accessible, adaptable and continuously updated. Nonetheless, to make use of this data for effective decision support, the OSM data must be first adapted to the needs of decision makers. In the pursuit of this goal, this paper presents the OpenFloodRiskMap (OFRM)- a prototype for a OSM based spatial decision-support system. OFRM builds an intuitive and practical interface upon existing OSM data and services to enable decision makers to utilize the open data for emergency planning and response.
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Torbjørg Meum, & Bjørn Erik Munkvold. (2013). Information infrastructure for crisis response coordination: A study of local emergency management in norwegian municipalities. In J. Geldermann and T. Müller S. Fortier F. F. T. Comes (Ed.), ISCRAM 2013 Conference Proceedings – 10th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 84–88). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: While great progress is made in terms of development and implementation on new ICT services for supporting crisis response coordination, the challenge remains on how to integrate these services within the ICT infrastructure in daily use by emergency responders. We report from an ongoing analysis of existing crisis response infrastructure in Norwegian municipalities, presenting an overview of current practice and related challenges. We argue for an information infrastructure perspective on the integration challenges, focusing on how new services based on geographic information systems and social media should be based on existing systems in use.
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Michael Morin, Irène Abi-Zeid, Thanh Tung Nguyen, Luc Lamontagne, & Patrick Maupin. (2013). Search and surveillance in emergency situations – A gis-based approach to construct optimal visibility graphs. In J. Geldermann and T. Müller S. Fortier F. F. T. Comes (Ed.), ISCRAM 2013 Conference Proceedings – 10th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 452–457). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: We present a methodology to construct optimal visibility graphs from vector and raster terrain data based on the integration of Geographic Information Systems, computational geometry, and integer linear programming. In an emergency situation, the ability to observe an environment, completely or partially, is crucial when searching an area for survivors, missing persons, intruders or anomalies. We first analyze inter-visibility using computational geometry and GIS functions. Then, we optimize the visibility graphs by choosing vertices in a way to either maximize coverage with a given number of watchers or to minimize the number of watchers needed for full coverage.
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Jose M. Nadal-Serrano. (2010). Towards very simple, yet effective on-the-go incident response preplanning: Using publicly-available GIS to improve firefighters' traditional approach. In C. Zobel B. T. S. French (Ed.), ISCRAM 2010 – 7th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Defining Crisis Management 3.0, Proceedings. Seattle, WA: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Incident response preplanning has an increasing importance in today's Fire Brigades incident response. This paper presents some concepts that could be easily applied, supplying the firefighters with a simple, yet reliable tool that can be configured to include data available at the time of resource activation. This early information and the route map to the incident can be of big help for firefighters if presented in a convenient way. Offline (paper) backup solutions and the need for APIs that may be used to exploit geographic data are also discussed. Finally, a proof of concept setup is developed using GoogleMaps[TM] for the case of the City of Madrid, Spain.
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Cynthia Nikolai, Irma Becerra-Fernandez, Troy Johnson, & Greg Madey. (2010). Leveraging WebEOC in support of the Haitian relief effort: Insights and lessons learned. In C. Zobel B. T. S. French (Ed.), ISCRAM 2010 – 7th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Defining Crisis Management 3.0, Proceedings. Seattle, WA: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: The magnitude seven earthquake that rocked Haiti has been a devastating disaster for the small country (USGS 2010). They are not alone in this crisis, however. When the earthquake struck, thousands of US citizens responded by donating money, resources, people, and time to aid in the disaster relief. To respond to the incident and to create a secure information-sharing environment, the Florida Miami-Dade County and State Emergency Operations Centers (EOC) were activated. The main information system in use at the Miami-Dade EOC is WebEOC, a web-based crisis information management system that aids in secure coordination and collaboration among EOC staff, liaisons, and emergency managers. As a result of the earthquake response efforts using this system, we have identified seven main insights and lessons learned with respect to crisis information management software. In this paper, we discuss Miami-Dade's role in the Haitian relief efforts and how this lead to these insights and lessons learned.
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Jack Pagotto, & Darrell O'Donnell. (2012). Canada's multi-agency situational awareness system – Keeping it simple. In Z.Franco J. R. L. Rothkrantz (Ed.), ISCRAM 2012 Conference Proceedings – 9th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Vancouver, BC: Simon Fraser University.
Abstract: The Canadian Multi-Agency Situational Awareness System (MASAS) is rapidly becoming Canada's national system for exchanging emergency management incident-relevant information amongst multiple agencies and jurisdictions. Through the use of structured information aligned with open standards, and a centrally managed open architecture, MASAS provides a trusted virtual community with the ability to seamlessly exchange emergency management information. MASAS offers an information exchange architecture that is based around a highly resilient system of data aggregation hubs that are easily accessible directly or through third party commercial tools by emergency management officials at all levels, from the smallest community in the most remote areas of Canada's north to key federal stakeholders such as the federal Government Operations Centre or the Canadian military. This paper highlights the key design principles, experimental activities, and technology implementation strategies that are positioning MASAS as a Canadian success story in the making – from coast to coast to coast. © 2012 ISCRAM.
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Marius J. Paulikas, Andrew Curtis, & Thomas Veldman. (2014). Spatial video street-scale damage assessment of the Washington, Illinois Tornado of 2013. In and P.C. Shih. L. Plotnick M. S. P. S.R. Hiltz (Ed.), ISCRAM 2014 Conference Proceedings – 11th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 329–333). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: This paper advances a growing body of mobile mapping work which captures building scale tornado damage in order to reveal vulnerabilities, or protections, within an otherwise apparently homogenous damage path. The hope is to find how micro geography, or built environment structure patterning might lead to policy advances with regards to rebuilding of critical infrastructure in tornado prone areas. This paper will use spatially encoded video to record damage patterns for the Washington, Illinois tornado of November 17, 2013. What makes this event notable is the location and time of year which can be considered outside the norm. Individual building damage data are coded using the Tornado Injury Scale (TIS) and then analyzed using two forms of local area spatial analysis – a Getis-Ord (Gi) z-score analysis to identify hotspots of damage, and a Local Moran's I to identify building outliers within hotspots.
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Alec Pawling, Tim Schoenharl, Ping Yan, & Greg Madey. (2008). WIPER: An emergency response system. In B. V. de W. F. Fiedrich (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2008 – 5th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 702–710). Washington, DC: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: This paper describes the WIPER system, a proof of concept prototype, and progress made on its development to date. WIPER is intended to provide emergency response managers with an integrated system that detects possible emergencies from cellular communication data, attempts to predict the development of emergency situations, and provides tools for evaluating possible courses of action in dealing with emergency situations. We describe algorithms for detecting anomalies in streaming cellular communication network data, the implementation of a simulation system that validates running simulations with new real world data, and a web-based front end to the WIPER system. We also discuss issues relating to the real-time aggregation of data from the cellular service provider and its distribution to components of the WIPER system.
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Muhammad Tauhidur Rahman, & Tarek Rashed. (2007). Towards a geospatial approach to post-disaster environmental impact assessment. In K. Nieuwenhuis P. B. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Intelligent Human Computer Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM 2007 Academic Proceedings Papers (pp. 219–226). Delft: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Natural disasters often leave profound impacts on the environment. Existing disaster impact assessment methods fall short in facilitating the relief work and in conducting cross-sectional comparison of various facets of such impacts. The development of a standardized index for measuring/monitoring the environmental impacts of disasters is necessary to address this gap. This paper proposes a conceptual framework to study the environmental impacts via remote sensing/GIS based geospatial analytical approach by developing a post-disaster environmental severity index. It considers physical, social and built-in components of the environment and identifies several key indicators of disaster impacts. Through statistical decomposition of a large number of environmental impact indicators, the study proposes a composite post-disaster environmental severity index (PDESI). Mapping of the proposed index would help identification of areas and component of the environment that are severely affected by a disaster, and formulation of disaster mitigation and damage recovery plans accordingly.
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Raul Eduardo Simoni Castanhari, Roberto dos Santos Rocha, Sidgley Camargo de Andrade, & João Porto de Albuquerque. (2016). A Software Architecture to Integrate Sensor Data and Volunteered Geographic Information for Flood Risk Management. In A. Tapia, P. Antunes, V.A. Bañuls, K. Moore, & J. Porto (Eds.), ISCRAM 2016 Conference Proceedings ? 13th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
Abstract: Natural disasters are phenomena that can cause great damage to people in urban and rural areas, and thus require preventive and reactive measures. If they involve multiple sources of information, these measures can be more useful and effective. However, the integration of heterogeneous data still poses challenges due to the differences in their structures and contents. To overcome this difficulty, this paper outlines a service-oriented architecture, as part of the AGORA platform, which aims to support the integration of sensor data and Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) related to floods. The composition of the architectural components enables sensor data to be integrated with VGI by using several algorithms in a flexible and automated manner. The architecture was implemented by means of a prototype as a proof of concept and the results were used to generate thematic maps. These maps can improve flood risk awareness and support decision-making in flood risk management.
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Rob Grace. (2020). Hyperlocal Toponym Usage in Storm-Related Social Media. In Amanda Hughes, Fiona McNeill, & Christopher W. Zobel (Eds.), ISCRAM 2020 Conference Proceedings – 17th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 849–859). Blacksburg, VA (USA): Virginia Tech.
Abstract: Crisis responders need to locate events reported in social media messages that typically lack geographic metadata such as geotags. Toponyms, places names referenced in messages, provide another source of geographic information, however, the availability and granularity of toponyms in crisis social media remain poorly understood. This study examines toponym usage and granularity across six categories of crisis-related information posted on Twitter during a severe storm. Findings show users often include geographic information in messages describing local and remote storm events but do so rarely when discussing other topics, more often use toponyms than geotags when describing local events, and tend to include fine-grained toponyms in reports of infrastructure damage and service disruption and course-grained toponyms in other kinds of storm-related messages. These findings present requirements for hyperlocal geoparsing techniques and suggest that social media monitoring presents more immediate affordances for course-grained damage assessment than fine-grained situational awareness during a crisis.
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Robin Peters, & João Porto de Albuquerque. (2015). Investigating images as indicators for relevant social media messages in disaster management. In L. Palen, M. Buscher, T. Comes, & A. Hughes (Eds.), ISCRAM 2015 Conference Proceedings ? 12th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Kristiansand, Norway: University of Agder (UiA).
Abstract: The use of social media during disasters has received increasing attention in studies of the past few years. Existing research is mostly focused upon analyzing text-based messages from social media platforms such as Twitter, while image-based platforms have not been extensively addressed hitherto. However, pictures taken on-the-ground can offer reliable and valuable information for improving situation awareness and could be used as proxy indicators for relevance. To test this hypothesis, this work explores various social media platforms, including image- and text-based ones in the case of floods in Saxony 2013, Germany. Results show that there is a significant association between disaster-related messages containing images and their proximity to the disaster event. Hence, the existence of an image within a social media message can serve as an indicator for high probability of relevant content, and thus can be used for enhancing information extraction from social media towards improving situation awareness.
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Anthony C. Robinson, Alexander Savelyev, Scott Pezanowski, & Alan M. MacEachren. (2013). Understanding the utility of geospatial information in social media. In J. Geldermann and T. Müller S. Fortier F. F. T. Comes (Ed.), ISCRAM 2013 Conference Proceedings – 10th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 918–922). KIT; Baden-Baden: Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie.
Abstract: Crisis situations generate tens of millions of social media reports, many of which contain references to geographic features and locations. Contemporary systems are now capable of mining and visualizing these location references in social media reports, but we have yet to develop a deep understanding of what end-users will expect to do with this information when attempting to achieve situational awareness. To explore this problem, we have conducted a utility and usability analysis of SensePlace2, a geovisual analytics tool designed to explore geospatial information found in Tweets. Eight users completed a task analysis and survey study using SensePlace2. Our findings reveal user expectations and key paths for solving usability and utility issues to inform the design of future visual analytics systems that incorporate geographic information from social media.
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André Sabino, & Armanda Rodrigues. (2011). Understanding the role of cooperation in emergency plan construction. In E. Portela L. S. M.A. Santos (Ed.), 8th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: From Early-Warning Systems to Preparedness and Training, ISCRAM 2011. Lisbon: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: In this paper we describe a proposal for information organization for computer supported cooperative work, while working with spatial information. It is focused on emergency response plan construction, and the requirements extracted from that task. At the centre of our proposal is the analysis of the structure of the cooperative workspace. We argue that the internal information representation should follow a spatial approach, tying the structure used to manage users with the structure used to manage information, suggesting the use of different spaces to represent the information. The gain we expect from this approach is the improved capacity to extract information on how people are cooperating and their relationship with the information they are working with. The ideas are introduced while focusing on real life emergency planning activities, where we discuss the current shortcomings of the cooperation strategies in use and propose a solution.
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Samuel Lee Toepke. (2018). Leveraging Elasticsearch and Botometer to Explore Volunteered Geographic Information. In Kees Boersma, & Brian Tomaszeski (Eds.), ISCRAM 2018 Conference Proceedings – 15th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 663–676). Rochester, NY (USA): Rochester Institute of Technology.
Abstract: In the past year, numerous weather-related disasters have continued to display the critical importance of crisis management and response. Volunteered geographic information (VGI) has been previously shown to provide illumination during all parts of the disaster timeline. Alas, for a geospatial area, the amount of data provided can cause information overload, and be difficult to process/visualize. This work presents a set of open-source tools that can be easily configured, deployed and maintained, to leverage data from Twitter's streaming service. The user interface presents data in near real-time, and allows for dynamic queries, visualizations, maps and dashboards. Another VGI challenge is quantifying trustworthiness of the data. The presented work shows integration of a Twitter-bot assessment service, which uses several heuristics to determine the bot-ness of a Twitter account. Architecture is described, Twitter data from a major metropolitan area is explored using the tools, and conclusions/follow-on work are discussed.
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Svend-Jonas Schelhorn, Benjamin Herfort, Richard Leiner, Alexander Zipf, & João Porto De Albuquerque. (2014). Identifying elements at risk from OpenStreetMap: The case of flooding. In and P.C. Shih. L. Plotnick M. S. P. S.R. Hiltz (Ed.), ISCRAM 2014 Conference Proceedings – 11th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 508–512). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: The identification of elements at risk is an essential part in hazard risk assessment. Especially for recurring natural hazards like floods, an updated database with information about elements exposed to such hazards is fundamental to support crisis preparedness and response activities. However, acquiring and maintaining an up-to-date database with elements at risk requires both detailed local and hazard-specific knowledge, being often a challenge for local communities and risk management bodies. We present a new approach for leveraging Volunteered Geographic Information to identify elements at risk from the free and open-source mapping project OpenStreetMap. We present initial results from a case study in the city of Cologne, Germany, to validate our approach in the case of flood-hazard. Our results show that the identification of elements at flood risk from OpenStreetMap is a suitable and cost-effective alternative for supporting local governments and communities in risk assessment and emergency planning.
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Benjamin Schooley, Brian Hilton, Yoonmi Lee, Rondalynne McClintock, Samuel-Ojo Olusola, & Thomas Horan. (2010). CrashHelp: A GIS tool for managing emergency medical responses to motor vehicle crashes. In C. Zobel B. T. S. French (Ed.), ISCRAM 2010 – 7th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Defining Crisis Management 3.0, Proceedings. Seattle, WA: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: This paper presents the research, design, and development of a comprehensive trauma information system inclusive of 911dispatch, Emergency Medical Services, and hospital trauma information. A proof-of-concept GIS based information system was designed and developed for use by trauma and emergency medical practitioners. Methods used include end-user focus group discussions, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, and an iterative system development process. A framework from prior research was utilized; a framework that considers the visualization of emergency medical events across an end-to-end continuum of patient care. Analyses performed provided a multi-layered understanding of the practical and theoretical implications of using an end-to-end information schema for emergency response and trauma health systems.
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André Simões, Armanda Rodrigues, Patricia Pires, & Luis Sá. (2011). Evaluating emergency scenarios using historic data: Flood management. In E. Portela L. S. M.A. Santos (Ed.), 8th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: From Early-Warning Systems to Preparedness and Training, ISCRAM 2011. Lisbon: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: The evaluation of an emergency scenario is often based on the use of simulation models. The specificity of these models involves the need for a complex evaluation of the problem domain, including the physical conditions behind the considered threat. Based on emergency occurrences data, provided by the Portuguese National Civil Protection Authority, we are currently developing a methodology for evaluating a real situation, based on past occurrences. The aim is to develop a platform that will enable the evaluation of a risk scenario based on existing civil protection data. The methodology under development should enable the evaluation of different scenarios based on the collected available data. This will be achieved thanks to the facilitated configuration of several aspects, such as the geographical region and relevant properties of the considered threat. In this paper, we describe the methodology development process and the current state of the platform for risk evaluation.
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Stathis G. Arapostathis. (2019). Instagrammers report about the deadly wildfires of East Attica, 2018, Greece: An introductory analytic assessment for disaster management purposes. In Z. Franco, J. J. González, & J. H. Canós (Eds.), Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response And Management. Valencia, Spain: Iscram.
Abstract: This article contributes to identifying the capabilities of Instagram when utilized as a source of Volunteered
Geographic Information (VGI) for disaster management (DM) purposes. The geographic focus of this research is
in the Mediterranean area. As case study, the fire event of East Attica 2018, Greece, was chosen. This major fire
occurred on the 23rd of July 2018 and caused the death of 100 people, the injury of additional 164 while the total
burnt area was about 1275,9ha. It is the deadliest in modern Greece?s history and the second deadliest at a global
level, within the 21st century. About 15000 related photos along with the corresponding captions and timestamps
were crawled from Instagram. An initial sample of about 1100, was analyzed, by using a certain methodology
divided in certain steps, the most important of which include the classification of the information to certain
categories, geo-referencing and the creation of graphs and maps that visualize the processed data.
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Tayler Ruggero, & Brian Tomaszewski. (2018). Geographic Information Capacity (GIC) Across International Scales: Comparing Institutional Structures of Germany to the United States. In Kees Boersma, & Brian Tomaszeski (Eds.), ISCRAM 2018 Conference Proceedings – 15th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 1153–1155). Rochester, NY (USA): Rochester Institute of Technology.
Abstract: Over the last three decades, the number and severity of natural disasters all across the world has been increasing exponentially (Basher, 2006). This paper intends to consider geographic information capacity (GIC) as it relates to government, government regulated organizations, and international organizations, including the United Nations, and their involvement in disaster risk reduction and management. Specifically, the paper aims to understand similarities and differences and the connection between two governmental disaster management organizations, FEMA in the United States and BBK and THW in Germany. We present a comparative analysis on the two countries in terms of their organizational structures, how their structures affect geographic information capacity and how geographic information capacity is related to disaster risk reduction and disaster response. Future work can make comparisons across more countries, including developing countries, to see what structural changes can be made in government entities to help increase GIC when disaster strikes.
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Brian M. Tomaszewski, & Lóránt Czárán. (2009). Geographically visualizing consolidated appeal process (CAP) information. In S. J. J. Landgren (Ed.), ISCRAM 2009 – 6th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management: Boundary Spanning Initiatives and New Perspectives. Gothenburg: Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM.
Abstract: Maps are essential visual advocacy devices for humanitarian relief projects. Maps provide advocacy by presenting, disseminating, and analyzing humanitarian relief project information in formats that are easier to understand and reason with. In this paper, we present our preliminary work on geographically visualizing Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP) information. The practical intent of our work is to (a) provide advocacy for CAP projects by geographically representing project information such as funding status so that (b) the nature of a project is better understood, thus potentially leading to increased project donations and improved project funding decision making. We provide examples of a prototype mapping application built to utilize Google Earth[TM] for representing CAP project information in map-based formats.
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Brian M. Tomaszewski, & Alan M. MacEachren. (2006). A distributed spatiotemporal cognition approach to visualization in support of coordinated group activity. In M. T. B. Van de Walle (Ed.), Proceedings of ISCRAM 2006 – 3rd International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 347–351). Newark, NJ: Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium.
Abstract: Technological advances in both distributed cooperative work and web-map services have the potential to support distributed and collaborative time-critical decision-making for crisis response. We address this potential through the theoretical perspective of distributed cognition and apply this perspective to development of a geocollaborationenabled web application that supports coordinated crisis management activities. An underlying goal of our overall research program is to understand how distributed cognition operates across groups working to develop both awareness of the geographic situation within which events unfold, and insights about the processes that have lead to that geographic situation over time. In this paper, we present our preliminary research on a web application that addresses these issues. Specifically, the application (key parts of which are implemented) enables online, asynchronous, map-based interaction between actors, thus supporting distributed spatial and temporal cognition, and, more specifically, situational awareness and subsequent action in the context of humanitarian disaster relief efforts.
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