Advancing the multi hazard early warning systems for emergency preparedness and disaster risk management - ResearchOnline@JCU

ADVANCING THE MULTI HAZARD EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS FOR EMERGENCY

PREPAREDNESS AND DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT

12^th APEC Senior Disaster Management Officials Forum Kokopo 25-26^th September 2018

Dr Yetta Gurtner

CONTENT

• The global risk context

• Understanding the hazards and context

• Hazard warnings - an evolving discipline

• Innovation in data collection, generation and sharing

• Communication, delivery and localization

• Challenges and best practice

World Economic Forum Global Risks Perception Survey 2017–2018.

UNDERSTANDING THE HAZARDS

• Typology

• Predictability

• Frequency

• Severity

• Magnitude

• Speed on onset

• Length of forewarning

• Duration of impact

• Scope and intensity of impact

UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT

• Physical exposure/susceptibility

• Rapid urbanisation

• Environmental degradation

• Population growth

• Access to resources

• Awareness and access to information

• Transition in cultural practices

• Infrastructure and development

• Political commitment

HAZARD WARNINGS

• Priority

• All hazards

• Risk reduction/resilience

• Empower community

• Protect life and property

• Early warning systems

EVOLVING DISCIPLINE

• Socio-technical innovation

• Digital technologies

• Data collection, synthesis and analysis

• Internet, social media and mobile technologies (ICTs)

DATA COLLECTION AND GENERATION

• Forecasting and modelling technology

• Remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) applications

• Satellite communication technology

INDIVIDUALS AND CROWD SOURCING

• Mobile phone technology

• ICTs for crowdsourcing

• Crisis mapping

INFORMATION COLLECTION AND DISSEMINATION

• Mobilsation

• Normalisation

• Opportunities and challenges

COMMUNICATING THE WARNING MESSAGE

• Dissemination process and systems for warning/message

• Public information, awareness and education

• Authority/credibility of source

• Accessibility of language/content style

• Maps and visuals

• Consistent and verifiable

• Practical/useable

• Timing

DELIVERY OF EFFECTIVE WARNINGS

• Interpretation of risk/behavior actions

• Participatory decision making

• Targeted/localized

• Tailored

LOCALISING WARNINGS

• People-centered protection networks

• Integration of local and traditional knowledge

• Hazard education and awareness

• Enhancing community resilience/capacity

• Preparedness

• Capacity building

No warning mechanism is guaranteed to deliver

warnings to all people in a given area at a given point

in time. Thus, it is critical that no single mode of

communication is relied upon solely, in times of

emergency - either by the public to receive warnings,

or by warning agencies to disseminate them.

CHALLENGES

- Prioritising risk

- Accepting warnings are not possible for all hazards

- Acknowledging warnings do not necessarily reduce physical damage/economic costs

- Translating warning into effective behaviour/action - Reducing uncertainty and false alarms

- Over reliance/dependancy on emergent technology

LESSONS AND BEST PRACTICE

• More holistic socio-ecological approach

• Political commitment

• Strengthening resources and infrastructure

• Interagency coordination

• Authoritative understandable warnings

• Enhanced dissemination mechanism

• Integration of warning in preparedness and response

• Community based programmes

• Sustained monitoring and feedback

QUESTIONS?