W-DIPS (Wide view Disaster Information System) Outline of the Wide-view Disaster Information & Prediction System Osaka University Institute for Academic Initiative Doctoral Program for Multicultural Innovation Stefano Toshiya Tsukamoto, Professor
Present Situation of Disaster Prevention in Japan Present Situation and Problems Increasing intensity of disasters Disasters affecting a wide area Recommendations Disaster response and information gathering are presently left up to each individual municipality. Lack of information provided to disaster victims Virulent influenza Municipalities Response to foreign residents Disasters and infectious diseases are even crossing national borders To what extent can the Japanese compartmentalized bureaucratic system cope with these problems? The networks of the municipalities or the disaster prevention measures of the municipalities and prefectures need to be integrated. More cooperation of citizens including volunteers and supporting NGOs in information gathering is required in the future. Disaster prevention manuals for foreigners and equal treatment of foreigners and Japanese people are required. An institution capable of collecting and analyzing data on infectious diseases is required for each individual municipality. A new system for collection of more information from the stricken areas, its analysis, and predictions is required in order to draw up a disaster relief plan.
Features of the Wide-view disaster information & prediction system 1 Feature 1 Occurrence of a disaster Citizen-oriented information & prediction system It is different from a conventional municipality-led system! 1 Information provided by citizens 2 A system which integrates information. 3System Utilization Citizens are asked to answer simple questions using a cell phone at the occurrence of a disaster. Citizens are asked to answer simple questions using a cell phone at the occurrence of a disaster. The system is applicable not only to earthquakes but also to tsunami, floods, volcano eruptions, typhoons, landslides, and novel influenza. Information is gathered from a wider area depending on the extent of damage, support and various other conditions. Provision of information gathered from individual citizens for municipalities and NPOs helps expedite their disaster response and rescue work. Wide-area disaster information can be grasped visually. Color-coding of stricken areas, according to the extent of damage and support conditions, allows the system to be utilized by disaster victims, municipalities, the Red Cross and NPOs.
Features of the Wide-view disaster information & prediction system 2 Feature 2 Continuous gathering of information Stricken citizens continuous input of their status on a weekly basis after the occurrence of a disaster helps grasp the progress in support activities through change of colors. Feature 3 Easy statistical analysis is possible The system is capable of analyzing the statistical data of a wide area or by each municipality and presenting the results in graphs. Stricken citizens continuous input of their status on a weekly basis after the occurrence of a disaster helps grasp the progress in support activities through change of colors. Grasping the status of the disaster-stricken areas on a weekly basis helps draw up supportive measures while checking if the support system is working well enough or if there are any blind spots. Although it is hardly possible to grasp the data of the entire stricken area, cooperation of 20 to 30% of citizens will help enhance predictions and support activities. The more information the citizens provide, the more accurate the data analysis would become. The system allows chronological understanding of the influenza or aftosa (foot-and-mouth disease) infection conditions. If prearranged, graphical presentation can be done with the push of a single key, which means that virtually anyone can use the system. Time-series graphical presentation of a novel influenza status will allow each municipality to determine its trend and take immediate actions. The system is also applicable to various other infectious diseases or aftosa.
Features of the Wide-view disaster information & prediction system 3 Feature 4 Qualitative information gathering The system helps grasp the complaints of disaster victims and other qualitative information which were previously difficult to obtain. Feature 5 The system is also available to foreigners Disaster-stricken citizens continuous input of their status on a weekly basis after the occurrence of a disaster helps grasp the progress in support activities through change of colors. The disaster victims complaints (for example, that relief supplies have not reached them), which previously could only be heard at the actual stricken site, and other qualitative information can be gathered in a statistical manner. The voice of the voiceless, i.e. those who are physically or mentally unable to speak, can be heard. The system is available in approximately a dozen foreign languages. Foreigners can respond to the system in their own language, which means the system can receive messages from disaster victims abroad. The users enter their nationality at the time of registration, which allows the system to grasp the nationality and location of the people stricken and in trouble, check the information with the embassy concerned, and take actions in cooperation with the municipalities, etc. The system is also available to visiting foreign tourists. Guidelines for actions in case of a disaster can be read in multiple languages and in diverse disaster-stricken areas. In cooperation with the embassies, the information is provided not as a mere literal translation but with consideration to respective races or nations, their cultures, and multicultural co-existence.
Features of the Wide-view disaster information & prediction system 4 Feature 6 Interactive communication The system is capable of receiving messages from citizens, locating them on the map, and sending back messages on the support system, etc. (risk management). Feature 7 Stranded Commuters Safety Confirmation System The system is capable of receiving messages from citizens, locating them on the map, and sending back messages on the support system provided by the government or the Red Cross, etc. By inputting their Facebook or Skype ID at the time of registration, citizens can communicate their detailed information to the government or private support organizations and cooperate in strengthening and expediting their support system. The citizens can also send their pictures from the stricken area or input their present location or home data through GPS (Global Positioning System). The system is capable of grasping the status of stranded commuters in case of a disaster in chronological order. The system is capable of cooperating with transportation companies and making a transportation plan. The system is capable of drawing up wide-area disaster measures, incorporating the evacuation and shelter information gathered by the municipalities. The system can be used as a safety confirmation system for universities or companies. In case of an emergency, registered Japanese or Japanese temporary visitors provide information, which can be received through embassies, etc. By confirming the location, the embassy can propose an evacuation route. The system is capable of locating the disaster-stricken area by multiple analyses.
The problems and future upgrading plan of the Wide-view Disaster Information & Prediction System Challenges in future This application is being created as part of the Osaka University Institute for Academic Initiative s Doctoral Program for Multicultural Innovation. Its Indonesian version will be completed in March, 2014. For its efficient use at the stricken area, cooperation with organizations capable of taking disaster countermeasures based on a broad view is necessary. A publicity system needs to be created for introducing the application to citizens and asking for their cooperation. A personal information management system needs to be created in case cooperation with municipalities and the Red Cross is considered. Cooperation with global companies is necessary for building the total management system in consideration of its global utilization. The application should never be used for religious or political purposes. It should be used for humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and safety confirmation purposes. Cooperation with Google and other Japanese companies is being considered. In Japan, cooperation with companies or media with a nation-wide network is being considered. A pilot project in Yogyakarta, Indonesia After the completion of the application, a pilot project will be launched in Yogyakarta, Indonesia for its distribution. If this application proves to be a success, it will be disseminated to the whole of Indonesia. In the future, the plan is for Japan and Indonesia to introduce it to the ASEAN nations. Cooperation of Japanese companies actively operating in Indonesia and local companies endorsing this project is expected. It is planned that the application would have the corporate logo of each supporting company which briefly explains the corporate activities.