Global
Disaster Information Network
Fact Sheet
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC
Purpose of Initiative
The Global Disaster Information Network (GDIN), is
a public-private partnership, created in 1998 by
the United Nations, Canada, and the United States
to reduce the impact of national disasters.
GDIN was formed to increase access to, or in some
cases create information for decision-makers.
This was accomplished by using remote sensor
devices to generate valuable round the clock
information, not only in a passive mode, but also
on an active, continual basis. GDIN’s
clients include disaster managers at all levels,
international organizations, and private voluntary
organizations, as well as national and
sub-national bodies. Since its creation,
GDIN has implemented pilot projects, held
conferences and targeted meetings to develop more
effective means of identifying critical disaster
information needs and innovative methods of
distribution, especially in remote locations with
poor telecommunications.
Partners
Governments: Canada, Italy,
Mexico, Russia, Australia, South Africa, Turkey,
U.S. Departments of Defense, Interior, and State.
International Organizations:
United Nations and OECD.
Civil Society: Native American
Communities (Navajo, Pueblo Laguna, Pueblo San
Juan, and Pueblo Zia), Asia-Pacific Area Network (APAN),
and AmTech Technology Alliances.
Partnership Targets
GDIN has two goals: to identify new ways of
obtaining and sharing operational information that
can be used to reduce the impact of natural
disasters as they occur, and to solidify GDIN’s
delivery of effective international
capacity-building with a diverse technical team of
disaster information experts.
Progress Towards Targets
GDIN is fostering the development of a GDIN
Information Facilitator Network linking various
Native American communities, the first peoples of
Canada and an existing network in Southern Africa.
The effort will be tied to an existing partnership
between the Department of State and OECD’s
Future’s Project, as well as the UN
International Strategy on Disaster Reduction,
managed by the United Nations.
The U.S. Government has also sponsored a pilot
project with Russia to simulate the impact of an
earthquake affecting Russian oil resources, and
the sharing of disaster response information with
Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Since 1998,
the Department of State and other U.S. Government
agencies have been co-hosting or fully sponsoring
GDIN conferences. GDIN conferences have been
held in Australia, Italy, Mexico, Turkey, and the
United States. The 2004 conference was held
in Washington, DC in March. Results of the
conference included the creation of a
standing-committee on Native American Disaster
Information needs and an international working
group addressing the use of un-manned aerial
vehicles in disaster management.
Next Steps
Over the last two years, the Department of State
supported GDIN exploratory field trips designed to
begin development of a disaster information
intranet, production of a self-assessment study of
native American disaster information needs,
linking the South African Development Cooperation
disaster efforts with the native American disaster
information intranet, and integration of GDIN
networks with the Indian Network with
International Strategy on Disaster reduction and
the UN Working Group on Emergency
Telecommunications. GDIN will focus in the
future on completing these efforts.
During the 2004 international disaster
information management conference in Washington,
DC, and during a subsequent expert meeting with
the Pueblo and Navajo nations in New Mexico and
Arizona, disaster managers gained agreement to
design an intranet service that would provide the
Native American community with relevant disaster
information for the early warning and response
phases of disasters, thus mitigating morbidity and
mortality from these unexpected events.
Resources
The U.S. Government has contributed technical
assistance, personnel resources and more than $3
million dollars in cash and in-kind services since
1998. Other GDIN partners have provided more
than $1 million dollars in technical and
financial assistance, as well as disaster experts.
U.S. Government Primary Points of Contact
Department of State (and GDIN Executive Director):
Larry Winter Roeder, Jr. (Phone:
202-647-5070; E-mail: roederla@state.gov.)
|
