AÏDA – Advancing ICT for DRM in Africa

AÏDA - Providing a framework for objective assessment of ICT for

Disaster Risk Management in Africa

Dr. Norman KerleInternational Institute for Geoinformation Science and Earth

Observation (ITC) (kerle@itc.nl)

2

Purpose and scope

Overview of the AÏDA projectPurpose of the Conceptual Framework (CF)Structure & scopePrincipal findingsSignificance within AIDA & wider utility

3

Overview of the AÏDA project

MotivationDisaster occurrence and costs are increasing

4

Effect especially severe in developing countries (90% of fatalities)Hyogo framework for Action is guiding policyICT solutionsWhat is available?

Share information on ICT knowledge and solutions

5

Why Africa?

2007/2008 UNDP Human Development Report – 35 out of last 50 countries in AfricaRenewed interest by China and USEU wants to keep up influence (GMES for Africa), and stem immigrationRenewed interest in disaster risk management (DRM), e.g. Hyogo Framework of Action, also touches Africa

6

Overview of the AÏDA project

Project structure (http://www.aidaonline.info/)10 partners2 yearsVITO (Belgium, lead), ITC (Netherlands), EUMETSAT(Germany), NET QI (Switzerland), GEOSAT (France), Technologies Sans Frontières (Luxemburg), ArdhiUniversity (Tanzania), Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (South Africa), Federal University of Technology, Minna (Nigeria), Institut d’Economie Rurale du Mali (Mali)

7

Objectives

Reduce the risk of natural disastersImprove the capacity to respond to disastersBridge the ICT information access gap within AfricaPromote existing, successful and adequate ICT solution & share this informationOpen up the GEONETCast system for alerting purposesEstablish a long-term ICT-cooperation with and within Africa

8

Regional

NationalAfrican Partners

Project Structure

First task in WP1:

Conceptual Framework

(CF)

9

Purpose of the CF

Review relevant disaster risk management (DRM) concepts and terminologyEstablish common languageReview the disaster situation in AfricaReview international policy initiatives in DRM that affect AfricaReview international ICT effortsReview African ICT initiatives for DRMFocus is on continental or regional scale

10

Structure of CF

1. Objectives and scope of the Conceptual Framework2. Natural disasters in Africa3. Disaster management conceptualized4. The scalability of risk5. The hazard situation in Africa6. From hazard to risk7. Disaster Risk Reduction policies and strategies8. The role of ICT for DRM in Africa9. International ICT-based DRM efforts directed towards or including

Africa10. Tools for information transfer and use – beyond the internet11. African ICT initiatives12. Summary

13. Acronym list14. References

11

Results & observations –Hazard and disasters

Most rapid disaster increase in Africa

12

Most rapidly rising populationMore elements at risk and pressure on resources

13

Hazards and disasters show strong regional patternsUnderstanding those is the key to risk reductionThe macroscopic hazard picture is well known – but not well adapted to different hazard aspectsMajor hazards at regional and nationals levels are being well monitoredAt sub-national levels far less capacity exists (infrastructure, skilled personnel, or methods [e.g. local seismic effects])

14

Results & observations – Risk

Risk, as defined, is scalableFundamentally a social phenomenonAs those are locally defined, risk is inherently local (as is reducing vulnerability)In Africa little is known about the actual risk distribution (as it is also hazard dependent)Those hazards can also compound each otherRisk should include all vulnerabilities – challenging existing methods and quantification

15

Results & observations –Disaster Risk Management Strategies

Africa is well linked in at broad conceptual levels African Union has adopted Hyogo Framework Many countries have developed effective monitoring, early warning and DRM strategiesOften the most effective solution is not technological, but community empowerment and a local champion Myth that there are no resources for DRM as all is needed for development and poverty reduction

16

Results & observations –ICT solutions

Africa is underconnected in terms of fixed lines and internet

17

Results & observations –ICT solutions

Partly made up by leap-frogging to mobile phones

18

Results & observations –ICT solutions

For ICT solutions and data transfer this is impracticalOne solution is GEONETCastLarge number of extra-African monitoring exists (FEWS, windstorms, volcanic hazard, seismic grid)Africa itself has shown strong technical capacity and readiness to participate in advanced ICT-based DRM solutions

4 countries have already operated space technology (Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, South Africa)Missing is ready cross-boundary cooperation and African concept

19

seismic

Thermal anomalies

Tropical storms

Severe weather

20

Rainfall and NDVI anomalies

At times modelledobservations - malaria

21

African solutions

Individual countries have space technologyBut also joined projects (e.g. Ocean Data and Information Network for Africa (ODINAFRICA), AfricaArray for seismic monitoring, Regional Subsahara Wildland Fire Network (Afrifirenet)Also good efforts in ICT capacity building (e.g. African Centre for Space Science and Technology (CRASTE-LF) in Morocco, and the anglophone Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education (RECTAS) in Nigeria, Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD, Kenya), Regional Remote Sensing Project (RRSU, Botswana).

22

What is needed is prioritization – do we focus on statistics of fatalities or affected people?

23

Further details

All reviewed in detail in the CFExtensively illustratedFirst draft ready, final version by June 2010Can be requested from the AIDA consortium or kerle@itc.nl

Meant to provide a basis for the EU to decide on future fundingGuidance for NGOs and governmental agencies focusing on DRM in AfricaScience communityAfrican stakeholders to accelerate cooperation and adoption or what works elsewhere

24

25

Thank you