Executive seminar

Capacity Building in Disaster Geo-information Management in Developing Countries

23-25 September 2009, ITC, Enschede, the Netherlands

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Rationale

The world is confronted with the rapidly growing impact of disasters, especially severe in developing countries, and governments have to incorporate risk reduction strategies in development planning at different levels. Risk assessment can only be carried out effectively when it is based on extensive, multidisciplinary studies on the basis of spatial information and analysis. Including the concepts of disaster geo-information management (DGIM) requires capacity building and training of disaster risk management (DRM) experts and professionals, as stressed in the UN-ISDR's Hyogo Framework of Action 2005-2015.

Many initiatives dealing with earth observation (EO) and geo-information (GI) for DRM are ongoing and focusing on developing countries most requiring knowledgeable resource persons on the ground. To what extent is capacity in economically less developed countries sufficient, and what are effective mechanisms to apply geoinformation data?

In many developing countries information on which to base risk assessment and management is either inexistent or out-dated. Since space-based information and services may offer a viable approach to access much of the information required to conduct such risk assessments, as well as to respond more efficiently and timely in case of disasters, the United Nations General Assembly established the UN-SPIDER programme, to promote the use of space-based information and space applications to support the full disaster management cycle. Since 2007 UN-SPIDER has been conducting workshops to discuss and identify how to facilitate capacity building efforts in developing countries, and to bridge the gap between the space and disaster-risk management communities.

The United Nations University–ITC School for Disaster Geo-Information Management (UNU-ITC DGIM), with the support of such programmes as UN-SPIDER, has been active in capacity building of organisations in developing countries and supporting networks of universities and training institutes from developing countries that are involved in training and research in the use of GI science and EO for DRM. On the occasion of the renewal of the agreement with the UNU for the coming years, UNU-ITC DGIM invites partner organisations to discuss the requirements for capacity building in DGIM in the coming years.

Workshop objectives

The seminar has the following main objectives:

• assessment of capacity needs of organisations related to DRM
• defining optimal modes for capacity building: university networks, short courses, distance education, graduate programmes
• improved collaboration amongst international organisations involved in capacity building for DGIM
• linking research and training in capacity building
• exploring better links to more technically oriented DRM programmes (International Charter, GEOSS).

Outcome

Comprehensive understanding of existing geoinformatics capacity for DRM in international organisations, NGOs and knowledge centers active in less developed countries, current capacity buildings needs, and recommendations to the diverse actors in the DRM field on suitable capacity building means and possibilities, and optimal integration of knowledge networks and research. Better coordination among international agencies supporting capacity-building efforts and vertical and horizontal cooperation with regional and national agencies responsible for risk management and emergency response activities.

Participants

On invitation, about 30-35 participants and speakers from:

• international organisations dealing with the implementation of GI for environmental applications
• international capacity building organisations dealing with DRM
• user organisations and NGOs
• university networks dealing with DRM
• knowledge centers / universities

Limited number of open applications.

Content of the executive seminar

The seminar will be focus on the following key topics:

• the role of GI for disaster risk assessment in developing countries
• requirements for capacity building in GI for DGIM
• international initiatives for GI and capacity building in DRR
• capacity building: different modes of implementation
• UNU and capacity building for DRR
• capacity building and research in GI for DGIM.

Presentations by participants

Session 1 -  Opening

van Westen ITC Introduction (PDF 244 KB)

Session 2 - The role of geoinformation for disaster risk assessment in developing countries

Ishizawa Worldbank CAPRA (PDF 8,896 KB)
Pisano UNITAR (PDF 2,052 KB)
Villagran UNSPIDER (PDF 686 KB)

Session 3 - Requirements for capacity building in GI4DGIM

Cherrington CATHALAC (PDF 3,243 KB)
Morris MapAction (PDF 1,306 KB)

Session 4 - Parallel breakout discussion sessions

Presentation Group 1 (PDF 110 KB)
Presentation Group 2 (PDF 41 KB)

Session 5 - International initiatives for GI & capacity building in DRR

ITC GEONETCast (ZIP 79,071 KB)
Grasso GEO (PDF 573 KB)
Verschuur EUMETSAT (PDF 2,056 KB)

Session 6 - Capacity building: different modes of implementation

Arambepola ADPC (PDF 262 KB)
Boccardo ITHACA (PDF 1,847 KB
Zeil Z GIS (PDF 692 KB)

Session 7 - Regional Gi4DRM capacity & needs, and role of regional networks

Amador RUNIRED (PDF 2,885 KB)
Annegarn UNEDRA (PDF 234 KB)
Karnawati ASEAN (PDF 1,522 KB)

Session 8 - Parallel breakout discussion sessions

Role of Universities (PDF 28 KB)
Successful delivery modes (PDF 40 KB)

Session 9 - United Nations University and capacity building for DRR

van Westen UNU-ITC DGIM (PDF 981 KB)
Zevenbergen UNU-ITC Land Adminstration (PDF 310 KB)

Session 10 - Capacity building and research in GI4DGIM

Hazarika AIT (PDF 808 KB)
Sopaheluwakan LIPI (PDF 1,050 KB)
Zlatanova TUDelft (PDF 621 KB)

For more information

ITC – Dr. Norman Kerle / Dr. Cees van Westen
P.O. Box 6 7500 AA Enschede
The Netherlands
T: +31 (0)53 4874 406 / 4874 45 41
E: kerle@itc.nl / westen@itc.nl
I: www.itc.nl/unu/dgim