DO Network

Definition

A National Loss Data Observatory is defined as a sustainable institutional arrangement for the systematic and homogeneous collection of data about losses caused by natural disasters. Data will be collected at National level of observation and with a relatively high level of resolution (disaggregation).

Ideally these observatories should be hosted directly by the national governments of each country but, if there are obstacles that prevent this arrangements (such as absence of institutions or capacity, existence of a supporting legal framework, impossibility to long term funding, no political will, etc) then other institutions such as Universities and NGO's may be considered as hosts of the Observatories until a transfer to the national government may take place.

The GRIP will expand and improve the evidence base on disaster-related losses by promoting and supporting the systematic organization of loss data into databases for analysis and use.

Historical loss data is necessary for risk assessment and for measuring progress towards achieving the expected outcome of the Hyogo Framework of Action - the substantial reduction of disaster losses.

Work in this outcome area includes development and promotion of tools and standards for damage and loss assessment.

 

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Goal

• Initial: To implement National Disaster Loss Data Observatories at least 30 fully functional National Data Loss Observatories in the first 5 years of the programme.
• Final: To implement National Disaster Loss Data Observatories in most of the disaster prone countries of the world (50 to 100).

Objectives

1. Establishment of Observatories: This is the main and ultimate objective of the outcome area.
2. Generation of standards, methodologies, guidelines and IM tools: In order to provide governments with a proven process that can be mainstreamed into the risk reduction processes of a country, and to give the international community a set of homogeneous and comparable indicators about historical loss data in different regions of the world, the project will attempt to produce a series of recommendations in the form of:
   
   • Standards: such as definitions for types of events, figures to collect, minimum and expected quality, data sources, etc.
   • Methodologies: for damage assessments, data collection and analysis, among others
   • Guidelines: for implementation and operation of the Observatories, interaction with international standards (GLIDE), publications, good practices, etc.
   • IM Tools: the project will support training in and development and evolution of IM Tools that will allow the implementation of these objectives, standards, methodologies and guidelines. In particular the project will support the implementation of DesInventar as base tool for loss database management and the use of UN-adopted or developed software tools such as DevInfo that may provide powerful analysis tools.
3. Collection of Historical data: As a fundamental step in the process of implementing the Observatories the project will support the initial collection of historical disaster loss data that will enable analysis to take place as soon as possible with enough statistical strength and with a relevant horizon in time. While the goal may vary on each country depending on specific conditions the project will recommend the collection of data for at least 30 years. Specific situations such as existence and accessibility of official data, appropriate and accurate media sources, etc.
4. Creation of a Practice Group: The team will advocate, call and support the creation of several groups of experts that will provide knowledge, advise and will carry out peer reviews of the work done especially in the area of standards, but also with methodologies, training materials and so on.
5. Generation of didactic material: A very important output of the Programme is a package of training material that will substantially contribute to the sustainability of the Observatories on the long term, allowing the formation of trainers of trainers and enabling the possibility of self-training and self-technical support. Much of this work will leverage currently available training material coming from the DesInventar project and other sources.

Activities

1. Generation of DB Standards: In collaboration with experts from the work group the GRIP team will produce a "Disaster Loss Data standard proposal" which aims at facilitating the processes of exchanging, comparing, collating, consolidating and analyzing data regarding the effects and impact of disasters.
2. Enhancement of methodologies and IM tools: The GRIP team will produce or enhance existing IM tools and their corresponding methodologies so that they adhere and are compliant with the standards to be developed in the previous point of this section.
3. Improvement of Damage Assessments: The GRIP team will work with a team of experts in recommendations and a standard to be proposed to the international community that could allow more solid, homogeneous, consistent and comparable damage assessments.
4. Finalization of training material and guidelines: This activity will produce as a result an improved set of academic materials intended to provide newcomers to the IM systems and tools with appropriate training. The goal is to leverage the existing materials when available and produce new ones as required.
5. Training in participating countries: the GRIP team will deliver during this year of 2008 three initiation training workshops, one on each of the regions (LAC, Asia, Africa) and a later follow up workshop on each region.
6. Definition and Promotion of a Quality Control Process: as a service to already working data collection teams around the globe the GRIP team will work in conjunction with CRED to provide advice and some level of auditing to increase the quality of the existing loss data databases.
7. Design of an institutionalization strategy: A strategy to approach and convene with governments the arrangements required to implement and run the Observatories and to mainstream its outputs into national DRR.
8. Implementation of the Observatories: This is effectively the process by which the GRIP team, UNDP Co's, Regional Centres, Regional and Country Advisors among others will approach and work with governments in order to make the necessary arrangements to have Observatories in place.
9. Start Historical database collection processes: In parallel or while the process of institutionalization takes place data collection processes will be started where possible and as means of supplying initial data that may allow governments to obtain a "proof of concept" of the usefulness of the Observatories.

Main Expected Outputs

• Generation of DB Standards A standards proposal for peer review and internal discussion.
• Enhancement of methodologies and IM tools An improved DesInventar tool implementing most of the standards.
• Improved methodological guides for Data Collection and Preliminary Analysis compliant with the mentioned standards.
• Improvement of Damage Assessments A standards proposal for peer review and internal discussion OR a roadmap for an alternate course of action if standardization is not feasible or accepted by the community.
• Finalization of training material and guidelines Training Guides for the observatory operators (Data collection and Entry; Preliminary Analysis)
• Training and start of update or collection of Historical data in participating countries Three regional workshops
• Data collection started in 10 countries for extensive risk
• Definition and Promotion of a Quality Control Process Project executed by partner, providing quality assessments of data in a number of Observatories.
• Design of an institutionalization strategy A paper with the outline of the strategy.
• Implementation of the Observatories The Observatories will generate data, information, analysis, etc.
• Historical database collection processes.

Potential Users

• Disaster/Emergency Management Authorities in the countries
• Planning agencies in countries
• Academic organizations
• NGO\'s involved in disaster management/relief/recovery/reconstruction
• UN/UNDPCountry Offices
• GRIP team members (for Risk mapping and other activities)
• Other researchers
• Disaster- and Risk-Reduction projects in the region
• Specific vulnerable societal groups
• Etc.

Indicators and targets

• At least 5 observatories are implemented during the year
• A document with a final version of a proposal for National Disaster loss data is produced
• A full set of training materials is produced and used on the field for training.

Critical factors

This section outlines some possible factors outside the control of the project that would prevent the overall objectives from being achieved. Despite the team believes most of the objectives are doable is important to take into account situations that could prevent the creation of Observatories in some countries:

• The impossibility to engage key governmental partner due to political (i.e. lack of will, unstable political situation, etc.) or legal reasons such as lacking of an appropriate legal framework that would allow a government to engage in the programme.
• The inexistence or inability to access critical historical disaster data sets either because they do not exist or because of political and legal reasons preventing their collection, use or analysis.
• Adverse geopolitical events such as changes in governments that would render null the process and require a restart of all activities.