Resource Links for Disaster Management

Education:

Disaster Management courses: (Disaster Management as a career)

Major Institutes offering disaster management / mitigation courses in India Includes the National Center for Disaster Management (NCDM) set up by the Indian Institute of Public Administration and the Centre for Disaster Management set up by Y S Chavan Academy of Development Administration conduct workshops and seminars for civil servants and government officials. NCDM is also the nodal agency for coordinating relief and rehabilitation work during natural calamities. Similarly, the Disaster Management Institute, Bhopal set up after the gas tragedy conducts awareness programs for NGOs and the public at large.

Some universities have recently also taken the initiative to introduce a few courses. For instance, IGNOU and the University of Pune offer 6-month certificate courses. Any one who has completed 10+2 is eligible to enroll. The Indian Institute of Ecology and Environment, New Delhi offers another correspondence program in disaster mitigation in affiliation with the Sikkim, Manipal University. Spread over 2 years and 10 papers including a thesis this program is open to graduates in any discipline. The PRT Institute of Postgraduate Environmental Education and Research also offers a similar course in affiliation with the Institute of Open and Distance Education, Barkatullah Vishwavidyalaya, Bhopal.

While these courses have started gaining in popularity, career opportunities are still pretty limited. Openings are mainly found in some government and non-government agencies. Large industrial establishments, particularly those in the high-risk fields like chemicals, mining, petroleum have disaster management cells. The International Red Cross and some UN organizations also empanel trained professionals for working on humanitarian missions to handle major calamities and emergencies.

  Professional Development course in Disaster Management: 

Learning needs of professionals working in disaster/emergency management  in the developing world is immense. Lessons of disasters and relief operations learned from experiences across the globe are to be bench mark for building better system for disaster mitigation. The University of Wisconsin–Disaster Management Center (UW–DMC) has worked closely with experts recognized for their field experience to develop disaster management training activities with a practical emphasis. The center's goal is to help improve the emergency management performance of non-governmental organizations, local and national governments, and international organizations, through a comprehensive professional development program in disaster management. Distance learning is the principal approach for this international program.
pl. visit http://dmc.engr.wisc.edu/ 

Second National Course on Humanitarian Charter and 
    Minimum Standards in Disaster Response:

The Second National Course has to be conducted on Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response by Disaster Mitigation Institute (DMI), Ahmedabad, and Oxfam (India) Trust on June 21 - 23, 2001, Goa. Its aim is to provide an opportunity for Government and Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) professionals in India to understand the standards and their use.
Pl. visit http://www.southasiadisasters.net/capacity.htm 

First National Course on Community Based Disaster
   Management (CBDM) in India:

In collaboration with the Disaster Mitigation Institute (DMI) and National Center for Disaster Management (NCDM), New Delhi, India, 7-12 May, only for Indian nationals.

Disaster Mitigation Institute:

• Afat Nivaran (Gujarati), a monthly journal on disaster mitigation for community organizations and government agencies in Gujarat.

• Vipada Nivaran (Hindi), a quarterly publication on disaster risk reduction for Hindi speaking individuals and organizations across India.

• Anubhav Pustika Shreni (Experience Learning Series), a series of publications in the Hindi, English or Gujarati language to capture local experience and learning for wider use and recognition.

http://www.southasiadisasters.net/  

Emergency Management Australia:

EMA promotes a national approach to emergency management in Australia through comprehensive measures which embrace prevention, preparedness, response and recovery activities. EMA works closely with a wide range of Commonwealth authorities, state and territory agencies, local government and industry bodies. It also maintains close links with similar agencies throughout the world. As an agent of the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), 

EMA has a significant relationship with the countries of the South Pacific region.

Go to http://www.ema.gov.au

The Emergency Management Australia Institute:

The institute is education and training arm of EMA and conducts an extensive program of education and training activities. EMAI conducts activities on-site as well as off-site, either through the extension program or through consultancies intra-state, interstate and internationally. These activities are directed at developing particular knowledge, skills and attitudes in individuals and groups who contribute to a nation's emergency management arrangements, developing competencies in emergency risk management, and/or stimulating action which will result in improvement in a specific aspect of national emergency management capability. 

Activities conducted by the Institute include seminars or workshops with awareness, promotional, information-sharing or problem-solving goals, education and training courses delivered residentially or in selected locations in the States and Territories, post-disaster impact studies and other forms of applied research and consultancies in aspects of emergency management training and education.
Go to http://www.ema.gov.au/4edutrainresearch/education.html 

International Institute for Disaster Risk Management (IDRM):

IDRM formerly known as the Asia Pacific Disaster Management Center (APDMC) is located in Manila, Philippines.  Through their global networks that include institutions across the world, such as Disaster Management Institute in Gujarat, Emergency Management Australia, German Technical Cooperation, Bangladesh Public Administration Training Center, Peri Peri of South Africa, and many others, this center provides technical support and advisory services on project design, resource mobilization, policy and planning, and international conference management, and training of trainers. Go to http://www.apdmc.com/

ADPC is a regional resource center working towards disaster reduction for safer communities and sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific. Established in 1986, the Center is recognized as an important neutral focal point in Asia and the Pacific for promoting disaster awareness and the development of local capabilities to foster institutionalized disaster management and mitigation policies.

International in scope and more tuned to the needs of the developing world, this center based in University of Wisconsin, Madison has a repository of courses, projects, publications, and organizational resources.  Lot of very good training materials and workshops specially pertinent to the management of international, natural disasters and emergencies that involve refugees and displaced persons.  DMC offers 15 self-study course modules for use in disaster prone areas.

National Information Center of Earthquake Engineering (NICEE) at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, has several research activities towards earthquake engineering. The NICEE aim at acquiring, disseminating information and capacity building of the neighbouring nations. Create and maintain a good storehouse of information/publications/ other audio-visual materials on earthquake engineering.

Research Activities:

Short term courses in Earthquake engineering:

The Natural Hazards Mitigation Group offers post-graduate studies, and works on earthquake and volcanic risks.

The field of humanitarian assistance may become a formal profession with well-defined career paths. It may not be as exotic or out-of-the-mainstream a choice as it seems today. Because of its multi-disciplinary nature, the field is not a pure science, like quantum physics. Most people do not get into humanitarian relief to discuss theory. It is applied learning: it is doing, learning, and doing some more. The impact it has on your life will likely be profound and long-term.

University of Tennessee

This site provides information and maps for earthquakes occurring in the Tennessee Valley and the southern Appalachians.
Reviewed: 06-Mar-98

http://tanasi.gg.utk.edu/quakes.html

University of Washington Geophysics Program

Seismolgy and Earthquake maps and research.Reviewed: 30-Jun-97

http://www.geophys.washington.edu/welcome.html

Seismology - Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska -
    Fairbanks (U.S.A.)

The Alaskan seismology group consists of about 20 professors, researchers and staff members of the Geophysical Institute (GI) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and approximately a dozen graduate and undergraduate students. To monitor the seismicity of Alaska we operate a seismograph network with about 150 short-period stations, of which 20 have three components. Currently 11 high-dynamic-range, broad-band seismographs are operating in Alaska. Live video coverage and clusters of seismographs monitor the active volcanoes near Anchorage (Augustine, Spurr, Redoubt, and Iliamna).
Reviewed: 04-Oct-97

http://giseis.alaska.edu/

Seismology - University (Universidad) of Chile

This group is the depository of the seismological tradition in the country pioneered in 1908 by the French count Ferdinand Montessus de Ballore. The count established the requirements and needs of the first National Seismic Network, which appeared as the first figure on the first issue of the prestigious Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America back in 1911
Reviewed: 09-Feb-01

http://www.dgf.uchile.cl/

All Educational Institutions GEMS: Asian Institute of Technology
   Disaster Preparedness Index

AIT, in Bangkok, Thailand, originated in 1959 to help meet the growing need for advanced engineering education in Asia. In November 1967, under its present name of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), the Institute became an autonomous international institution empowered to award degrees and diplomas.
Reviewed: 03-Jun-97

http://www.ait.ac.th/Subject/disaster.html

Dartmouth Flood Observatory

This Web site is a research tool for mapping, measurement, and analysis of major flood events using remote sensing. We use the cloud-penetrating radar imagers aboard European Remote Sensing Satellites (ERS-1 and ERS-2), Radarsat, NASA's AIRSAR/TOPSAR airborne sensor, and NOAA's AVHRR data; in 1998 MODIS data from NASA's Earth Observing System will also be incorporated.
Reviewed: 04-Apr-97

http://www.dartmouth.edu/artsci/geog/floods/

Disaster Research Center - University of Delaware

The following is a partial list of the projects for which the Disaster Research Center has received support since 1990: Businesses and Disasters: Consequences of Disaster Victimization for Businesses and Business Districts; Emergency Response and Early Recovery Activities in the Northridge Earthquake; Business Disruption and Initial Recovery in the Northridge Earthquake; Economic Consequences Due to Lifeline Failures: Lessons from the Heartland Floods of 1993 for Earthquake Recovery Planning; Utilization and Impact of Earth Science Information Among Local Governments and Businesses in Southern California; Judgments of Responsibility for Disaster Consequences; Urban Seismic Risk Assessment: The Impact of Earthquake-Related Disruption on Business Operations; Comparative Study of Earthquake Hazard Mitigation and Preparedness in the Central U. S. and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Reviewed: 04-Apr-97

http://www.udel.edu/DRC/

Earthquake Engineering Research Center, University of California
   at Berkeley

http://nisee.berkeley.edu/

Earthquake Research Center, The University of Tokyo

http://www.eri.u-tokyo.ac.jp/

Emergency Mgmt. Education Network

EMEN is a distance learning, resident, and workplace emergency management education, training and consulting service provided by the Natural Sciences and Environmental Management Program, University of California, Riverside.

http://www.unex.ucr.edu/emen/emen.html

Flood Disaster Laboratory, Fluvial and Marine Disaster Research Division, Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University (Japan)
http://rdp.dpri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/

Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center

The Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center (HRRC) was established at Texas A&M University in 1988. The center engages in research on hazard mitigation, disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. The staff of the HRRC is interdisciplinary in nature and includes the expertise of architects, engineers, geographers, psychologists, and sociologists. The HRRC is dedicated to providing access to hazards information for homeowners, professionals, business investors, and the academic community.
http://HRRC.TAMU.EDU

Illinois CES Disaster Resources

The Disaster Resources Web Site provides access to information on disaster preparedness and recovery for the State of Illinois and the Internet community.
http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/~disaster/disaster.html

Middle East Technical University Disaster Management Implementation and Research Center

A newly established center entitled "Disaster Management Implementation and Research Center" has been created at Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey. This center is charged with the mandate of working in many phases of the disaster continuum, and provide a platform for both domestic and international cooperation with similar bodies elsewhere.

http://www.metu.edu.tr/home/wwwdmc/

National Interagency Civil-Military Institute

The mission of the National Interagency Civil-Military Institute (NICI) is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of joint civilian-military initiatives through education and training. The Institute supports National Guard efforts to further international cooperation and other programs as directed by the Chief, National Guard Bureau.

http://www.nici.org

Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado

The Natural Hazards Center, located at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA, is a national and international clearinghouse for information on natural hazards and human adjustments to hazards and disasters.

http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/

State of Illinois (USA) - ICES Disaster Resources

Access to current events and conditions, disaster preparedness and recovery, agencies, organizations, networks, general disaster information and important telephone numbers for Illinois residents.

http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/~disaster/disaster.html

University of Minnesota Emergency Management

Provides University of Minnesota Students, Staff, Faculty and visitors with information regarding University emergency planning, response and education.
http://www.tc.umn.edu/nlhome/m435/freed004/.html

University of North Texas

The only resident BS degree in Emergency Management in the USA, Located in Denton TEXAS, also home to FEMA Region VI and the Teleregistration Center.
http://www.ias.unt.edu/~eadp/index.html

University of Wisconsin-Disaster Management Center

A unique educational resource, the University of Wisconsin-Disaster Management Center (UW-DMC), exists at the Department of Engineering Professional Development in the College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison. It offers educational programs on the management of situations created by disasters and emergencies in an international context.
http://epdwww.engr.wisc.edu/dmc/

Virtual Hospital at University of Iowa Health Center Virtual
    Hospital (VH)

A project of the Electric Differential Multimedia Laboratory, Department of Radiology, University of Iowa College of Medicine. It is a continuously updated medical multimedia database and available over high speed networks 24 hours a day. The VH may be used to answer patient care questions.

Disaster Response Technologies, Inc.

Professional consulting firm staffed with 98 years of combined experience in the fields of disaster recovery and emergency management, assisting governmental and corporate agencies with Planning, Training and Management products and services to prepare for, respond to and recover from a major storm event or disaster.
http://www.drt-inc.com

The Corporate Response Group Inc.

The Corporate Response Group Inc. (CRG), is a worldwide leader in crisis management consulting. CRG is in the business of enhancing its clients' ability to prepare for, respond to and recover from crises ranging from natural disasters and man-made emergencies, to economic downturn or political unrest.
http://www.crgdc.com/

Strohl Systems

Strohl Systems develops continuity planning software and services, that has helped thousands of organizations - including businesses, government agencies, and institutions - develop and maintain thorough, actionable disaster recovery and continuity plans.
http://www.strohlsystems.com

DRI International

DRI International (formerly the Disaster Recovery Institute) was founded in 1988 at Washington University in St. Louis. The purpose of the DRI is to create a base of common knowledge for the disaster recovery / business continuity planning filed through education, assistance, and the development of a resource base; to certify qualified individuals in the discipline; and to promote the credibility and professionalism of certified professionals.
http://www.drii.org

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These studies highlighted the importance of GIS in disaster management. The report tries to identify the role of the particular technology for scientific investigations, resource management, disaster and developmental planning. The main advantages of the use of powerful technique of GIS, is the assessment of several hazard and risk scenarios at any point of time that can be used in the decision making for choosing alternatives. It can also be used for planning the future development of an area and the optimum way to protect it from natural disasters.

A prototype natural and technological hazard information sharing network under development as a collaborative demonstration project of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR). The goal of HazardNet is to enhance the timeliness, quality, quantity, specificity and accessibility of information for persons and organizations world-wide concerned with preventing, mitigating or preparing for or large-scale natural and technological emergencies.

Select IBRD and IDA Disaster mitigation and management projects that are ongoing or completed. For each project the project summary of the Staff Appraisal Report (SAR) or the Project Information Document (PID) can be accessed by clicking on the appropriate link.

Shelterproject.org 

Shelterproject.org, is a not for profit research group devoted to consolidating expertise in responding to the temporary shelter and settlement needs of populations affected by conflict and natural disasters. Go to www.shelterproject.org

Aidcommunity.org

Aidcommunity.organ independent email-based service allowing aid workers in the field to access both the web, and each other, projecting existing policy and best practice and supporting lateral cooperation. aidcommunity.org is currently being developed by a team of experienced volunteers from the humanitarian and software engineering sectors. aidcommunity.org is seeking start-up funding.

Go to www.aidcommunity.org

Disasterdiplomacy.org

Disaster can significantly influence and move along diplomatic processes which have already started but cannot by itself produce new diplomatic results or initiatives. Given this conclusion, further discussion is warranted for the implementation of Disaster Diplomacy and proposals to help realise its potential.

Go to www.disasterdiplomacy.org

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Global Health Disaster Network

A major difficulty in a disaster is knowing where to find accurate information to help coordinate efforts in a quick and organized way. The establishment of a global information network, in place before a disaster occurs, could link all the efforts towards relief. We propose that a Global Health Unit for Disaster and Relief Coordination be set up as part of the Global Health Network, having the Internet as its backbone. This Unit would establish the links for the disaster information mosaic.

Medical Matrix

Guide to Internet Medical Resources offering physicians and healthworkers access to clinical medicine resources.

MedicCom

An interactive WWW BBS. You can log into the BBS, access messages, files and chat with others on the WWW about Disaster related topics.
http://mediccom.org

US National Library of Medicine

NLM is the world's largest library dealing with a single scientific/professional topic. The NLM offers extensive on-line information services, has several active research and development components, and provides several programs designed to improve the national information and education system.

The Risk Assessment Tools for Diagnosis of Urban areas against Seismic disasters (RADIUS) tool was designed to give a city administrator an idea of the simple, user-friendly tools that can be built for the assessment of earthquake risk to a city, using a GIS platform. In this tool, the area of a city and probable loss to infrastructure and life is displayed as a mesh of rectangular cells that allows the user to get a graphical view of the data. http://www.rmsinet.com/projectrisk.htm#RADIUS 

Team coordination software

APEX-M is a real-time situation management system for coordination and status of a dispersed team following a given plan. Suitable for NIIMS/ Incident Command System.
http://www.apexm.com

This project, initiated by Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, is aimed at generating state level disaster profiles for all the states in India. The application will be used to track all the historical natural disaster events and losses. The tool has a GIS interface and has the capability to capture information at real time and generate and distribute reports.

http://www.rmsinet.com/projectrisk.htm 

CSMCo Emergency Mgmt Software

A software developer with web based emergency related systems currently operating within the State of California and on the national level.
Reviewed: 12-Oct-00

http://www.csmco.com

E Team: Internet-based Emergency & Event Management
   Software

E Team is an Internet-based workflow management application designed for emergency and event personnel. It allows Web-connected users to enter and access standardized reports, requests, and directives; view and edit annotated maps; and access common databases in order to manage an event or disaster.
Reviewed: 01-Sep-00

http://www.eteam.com/

Essential Technologies, Inc.

Information about the world's leading provider of emergency and environmental management software which developed the EIS/InfoBook software chosen by FEMA as the emergency operating software component of the National Emergency Management Information System (NEMIS). Web site describes systems that integrate data, maps, models, sensors, communications, and more.
Reviewed: 18-Sep-97

http://www.essentech.com

Giannotti Technical Services

Giannotti Technical Services provides GPS/GIS data collection for fast and accurate emergency assessment, and planning. Services include: Property inventory, Addressing, Emergency Services Response Maps, Utility Location Maps, Data Set Creation Interpolation/Analysis Of Data References on request
Reviewed: 24-Apr-97

http://www.giannottitech.com/

PIER System

The PIER System (Public Information Emergency Response) is a fully integrated Internet-based communication management system designed for crisis or emergency communication. It is used by companies and government agencies to quickly develop and distribute public or group information. It combines web content management with email, fax and telephone distribution.
Reviewed: 03-Oct-01

www.piersystem.com

Pyramid Software

Affordable, state of the art training records management software for Fire and EMS organizations.
Reviewed: 06-Mar-98

http://www.quickcodes.com

Specialized Disaster Systems International

Specialized Disaster Systems International, Inc. is a systems integration company that develops, supports and provides integration services for a wide range of public safety and emergency management software programs utilized internationally by government and industrial organizations.

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