More with Less: Disasters in an Era of Diminishing Resources

Humanitarian Response in the Era of Global Mobile Information Technology

| 110 | Technology is among the most difficult topics to tackle in a chapter designed to be relevant for more than a few months. The digital revolution has brought, and is still bringing, many positive changes to the world. In the humanitarian sector, technology has revitalized worldwide volunteerism through crowd-sourcing, driving closer cooperation between the humanitarian and the for-profit sectors. It has empowered people who receive humanitarian aid and improved the way we manage information. These changes have challenged old assumptions and reshaped existing systems in deep and unexpected ways. In this chapter, I will set out what new technology offers us across the humanitarian sector; highlight the mutual benefits of the sector’s newly formed relationship with the technology sector; and suggest how we can improve the partnerships we are building to tap the full potential of information technology in our work. Building Resilience The first step in crisis response starts well before disaster hits. Developing resilient early warning systems helps communities withstand even major hazards. Mobile technologies offer improved ways of doing this. Humanitarian Response in the Era of Global Mobile Information Technology VALERIE AMOS Humanitarian Response in the Era of Global Mobile Information Technology | 111 Social and economic data, including maps, are essential to building resilient communities. Most conversations about public safety and assistance take place around a map. Mobile technology enables us to compile, share, and update maps more quickly and accurately than ever before, so that we can put our resources where they will be most effective, at both local and national levels. The Grassroots Mapping Project (www.grassrootsmapping.org) uses inexpensive techniques, like balloons and kites, to compile maps that are aimed at changing how people see the world in environmental, social, and political terms. The organization worked in the New Orleans area in 2010 to map the BP oil spill, and is now broadening its scope to explore inexpensive and community-led means to measure and explore environmental and social issues. Interactive mobile technology can also enhance the ways maps are used, making them a valuable tool for advocacy and development— crucial elements of building resilience. In Somalia, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is running an online map of its development projects in rural areas. The map shows every village with a project funded by the DRC. Clicking on a village reveals details about the project, its aims, and its progress. Somalis in the diaspora have started to use the map to decide on the best villages for their donations. These diaspora communities are even topping up the original funding offered by the DRC—an unexpected side-effect of the project. Interactive mapping has been taken up at the international level by the World Bank, which launched the Mapping for Results platform in October 2010. This initiative visualizes the location of World Bank projects and enables citizens and other stakeholders to provide direct feedback, enhancing the transparency and social accountability of these projects. For select countries, the platform provides not only geographic information about World Bank-financed programs, but also allows users to overlay disaggregated poverty, population density, and human development data (i.e., infant mortality rates, malnutrition, etc.). Population density is available for 107 countries; data on mortality, maternal health, and malnutrition data are available for forty-three countries; and poverty data for thirty-one countries. Such moves toward transparency 112 | Valerie Amos will undoubtedly have implications for funding and development in the future. Mobile cash transfer programs, which deliver vouchers or cash directly to recipients, can also play a crucial part in building resilient communities, help people to withstand slow-onset crises, and build sustainable livelihoods. Programs can be integrated with national social security systems to maximize impact. As in so many areas, humanitarians are only beginning to investigate the possibilities that this technology offers. Local Action In all disasters, local communities form the front line of the crisis response . If local people have access to cutting-edge technology during an emergency, they can be extremely effective in communicating the needs of affected communities to each other and to local, regional, and international aid organizations. The formation of local social networks to spread news, including tips and warnings about impending weather events or volcanic activity, is another important way in which mobile technology has contributed to disaster prevention and recovery. These tools are increasingly being used in disaster-prone areas. For example, civil authorities in...