Global Disaster Information Network
Fact Sheet
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC
April 17, 2004
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.)
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