Hi -
I have been watching the Katrina discussion with interest, and have
been discussing it with colleagues, some of whom are extremely
uncomfortable with comparisons with the aid effort and
disaster-management expertise that was installed following the
Tsunami. I have a small personal experience to share.
I am finishing a small research chapter on the value of Earth
Observation for the aid sector as part of my Ph.D. research. The
chapter will illuminate a wider discussion of the social and economic
value of the images (do they comprise a public information-good?). I
give this background to explain that I am a remote-sensing person,
examining disaster response and the role of digital geospatial
information. I am no expert in this field.
As part of my user-consultation I was lucky enough to receive a
completed questionnaire from a senior FEMA employee.
The form asks what key information is immediately required for
emergency response; the participant states that "we need the spatial
extent and the type of damage, then intelligent questions can be
asked - just one example - what are the demographics of the affected
population? Once known, we can selectively deploy national resources
or community relations personnel with the appropriate language skills
and cultural background to the affected area. National medical teams
with specialized equipment may be deployed if a 'special needs'
population is identified"
Very interesting in the light of events - personally, I am not
convinced that FEMA / the Bush administration will undertake a
post-mortem of Katrina that will be broad or deep enough to answer
the tough questions posed, but we will see... The survey response
was received in March 2005. Please note that this quotation isn't
for wider dissemination, as it is confidential and has not yet been
published.
Thanks!
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Lewis Miller
077-1314-8532
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