Abstract
Disaster information informs disaster risk management interventions. However, it is the systematic management of this key resource that has not yet been fully embraced. In some cases, information is still haphazardly collected, analysed, managed and disseminated. This paper, utilising mainly secondary literature sources, explores the importance of disaster information and its systematic management in disaster risk management programming. It presents challenges associated with information management in disaster situations and critiques the trend whereby the collection, management and dissemination of information are usually limited to disaster situations. This only serves to further marginalise post-disaster recovery processes, which are integral with regard to generating knowledge essential for the formulation of future disaster mitigation strategies. The paper concludes by arguing for the integration of disaster information management into current disaster risk management curriculum.
Highlights
Information is a key resource informing all human activities
This paper, inspired by research for content to develop a postgraduate diploma course – Disaster Information Management – at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Zimbabwe, sought to explore the importance of information management and how this relates to disaster risk management (DRM)
Vital for humanitarian organisations to put in place systems that are favourable in order for effective disaster information management to thrive at all levels of the disaster and risk management cycle
Summary
Information is a key resource informing all human activities. Its ‘acquisition and distribution ... is essential to human empowerment and ... if people have better access to this basic resource this would greatly benefit their standard of living’ (Hamelink 2002:5). If people have better access to this basic resource this would greatly benefit their standard of living’ (Hamelink 2002:5). Without this resource, there is a high probability that humankind will repeat past mistakes. Currion makes reference to information ‘drought’ and information ‘flood’ as some of the challenges facing humanitarian organisations and practitioners. It is, vital for humanitarian organisations to put in place systems that are favourable in order for effective disaster information management to thrive at all levels of the disaster and risk management cycle. Explore the importance of information management in disaster risk management identify the challenges associated with disaster information management identify the most appropriate ways of improving the management of disaster information
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