Informing better decisions
In order to build resilient societies, policy-makers and the public must have access to the right data and information to inform good decisions. Decisions such as where and how to build safer schools, how to insure farmers against drought, and how to protect coastal cities against future climate impacts. Sharing data and creating open systems promotes transparency, accountability, and ensures a wide range of actors are able to participate in the challenge of building resilience. The Open Data for Resilience Initiative (OpenDRI) aims to reduce the impact of disasters by empowering decisions-makers with better information and the tools to support their decisions.
OpenDRI implements the first policy recommendation of the joint World Bank / UN flagship report, “Natural Hazards, UnNatural Disasters, the Economics of Effective Prevention,” which establishes the importance of data sharing to reduce vulnerability to disasters. OpenDRI also builds upon the World Bank’s broader Open Data Initiative. OpenDRI is currently implementing these ideas in 25 countries around the world to improve disaster and climate change resilience.
Sharing data to rebuild a Nation
An example of OpenDRI in action is haitidata.org. This website is built using a free and open source software tool, GeoNode, and makes risk assessment data produced following the 2010 Haiti earthquake available for anyone to download and use. This tool enables individuals and organizations to download as well as contribute their own data, thereby promoting collaboration around the management of the information needed to rebuild Haiti.
Impact
- 99 detailed data layers detailed data and 32 hazard and risk maps are made available to inform reconstruction and support DRM investments
- Partnership created with major actors in the reconstruction around the sharing and use of information
Ongoing work
The World Bank’s Latin America and Caribbean team to build in-country capacity to take full ownership of the platform and data
Making Resilient Decisions with “Risk in a Box”
“Risk in a Box”is a suite of open source tools that closes the loop between sharing data and actionable information to support resilient decision-making. Since early 2011, Risk in a Box has been developed in Indonesia through a partnership with the Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), the Australia Indonesia Facility for Disaster Reduction (AIFDR), GFDRR Labs, and the Building Urban Resilience in East Asia Initiative. Pilot projects that connect with a range of stakeholders are in progress not only at a national level in Indonesia, but also in the city of Jakarta and Can Tho, Vietnam. See http://riskinabox.org for details.
Impact
- Tools developed through deep, technical engagement with key Government of Indonesia stakeholders
- The open-source platform informs better decision making by simply and reliably estimating and communicating the likely impacts of natural hazards including earthquakes, floods, and tsunami
- 3 month community mapping pilot with Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) resulted in: 15 Workshops, 200+ people trained, 42,000+ buildings mapped and ready for use with Risk in a Box
Ongoing work
· Specialized application to rapidly estimate fatalities after an earthquake to be operationalized in BNPB’s data and information center
· Support BNPB’s “Resilient Village” programs to guide municipal level disaster risk reduction
· Continued technical capacity building for partner stakeholders in Jakarta and Can Tho for tools targeting urban resilience applications
Resources