Part 3. Where to finddisaster information

New technologies and disaster information resources

Principal Sources

The World Wide Web CD-ROMs Disaster Information Centers

Principal tools

Problems:

the overwhelming amount of information the disorganized nature of the information lack of standards and quality control slow connection speeds

The World Wide WebThe World Wide Web

What gives value added to disaster information?

A reliable source Speed Quality and relevance of content Organization A combination of resources Has a focus It’s up-to-date Good design and easy to navigate

What makes a good web site?

Simplicity Graphics, fonts, colors Ease of navigation Avoid needless animation Reduce “download” time Good (and working!) “links” Up-to-date information Include “meta tags” A search engine Quality control

The growth of Internet access can generate inequities in access to information.

We cannot cater exclusively to the online community.

Keep in mind the needs, interests and

limitations of all users.

The Internet is not the only source of digital information .

. .CD-ROMs enable widespread use of information in electronic format when the Internet is not accessible. They are:

low cost easy to use economies of scale large storage

capacity

CD-ROM: The Virtual Health Library for Disasters

CD-ROM: The Virtual Health Library for Disasters

The Global Virtual Library of Essential Information Resources on Public Health for Disasters and Complex Emergencies (2001

Edition)

What is the Virtual Disaster Library?

An open and changing collection

Information in Spanish, English and French

An organized collection of technical and scientific

documents selected for their quality of content

Available free of charge, it does away with

restrictions of time an space imposed by Internet

Dual platform: CD-ROM and Internet

Dual electronic format: HTML and PDF

New edition of the Virtual Health Library for Disasters

The same objective:

facilitate fast and low-cost

access to technical and

scientific publications on

health and disasters.

What’s new?

A global collection, prepared by PAHO and WHO, with collaboration from some of the most imporant international organizations working in health, emergencies and disasters: UNICEF, UNHCR, ICRS.

Expanded content and themataic coverage: now more than 400 technical documents including the most important publications on emergencies and disasters from these organizations.

Easier to search, with material in in three languages.

Topics

Public health in disasters and emergencies Disaster preparedness and response Human rights and humanitarian legislationEnvironmental health and chemical agentsRefugee health and displaced populationsCommunicable and vector-borne diseasesFood and nutritionReproductive health, child health and immunizationMental healthSupply management and essential drugsMedical management of the consequences of war

A note . . .

The easiest part of the process was harnessing the technology.

The most difficult part was negotiating with organizations to relinquish copyrights.

The process helped to eliminate, or at least reduce, bureaucratic tendencies.

Many advantages

Permanent and unlimited access to information

Reduced printing and distribution costs

Easy to update

Can personalize how information is manipulated and distributed.

Technology and training

The use of technology should be supported by training and education.

Internet is just a tool – it doesn’t provide the skills to search for information or the capacity to interpret and understand it.

Training, training, training . . .

“How do organisations convince people that training is much more than courses, that it is about life-long commitment to workplace learning, continuous improvement and discovery.”

  Alistair Rylatt & Kevin Lohan, Creating Training Miracles, 1995

“In the end we retain from our studies only that which we practically apply.”

    Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Remember the principal challenges

Connectivity, but with value added Training Content Promoting other technologies and not forgetting

those on the other side of the digital divide Promoting institutionalized information services

and centers.

Disaster Information Centers

Regional Disaster Information Center (CRID)

Caribbean Disaster Information Network (CARDIN)

CRID: An institutional alliance

Management

PAHOISDR

AdvocacyCNE

IFRC

CEPREDENAC

Administrative support

FUNDACRIDSustainability

CRID

What can CRID do for your organization?

Satisfy information needs Publish and distribute bibliographical material (Bibliodes) Conversion to digital format and distribution of e-documents Technical advice on creating information centers Promote inter-institutional collaboration Distribute technical documentation Help to create strategic alliances

Creates a “culture” of informationCreates a “culture” of information

Contributes to improving vulnerability and risk reduction in the Caribbean

CRID Information Resources

Databases and bibliographic services Publications in digital format Support for education and decision making Integrating methodologies and resources

Bibliographic Databases DESASTRES VIDEOS Contacts

Electronic Publications

Usefulness of electronic publications

Paradigm shift: a virtual CRID Decentralizes and opens up the collection. Transfers the experience and methodology of work Makes widely available material that otherwise

would have a limited audience

Support to education anddecision making

Includes texts and multimedia materials, directed to specific publics and situations:

Manuals,Guidelines for professionals and the public Case studiesCatalog of experiences that could be replicated or

should be avoided. Frequently-asked questions Reference materials for “situation rooms”

C A R D I N

Caribbean DisasterInformation Network

Remember . . .

Beware of technology fanatics!

Digital or electronic “gold fever” can be as volatile and risky as any other fever!

“I’m connected, therefore I am!

. . . not the other way around!