Disaster 2.0

Diesmal habe ich eine eher besinnliche und nachdenklich-machende Wochenendlektüre für Euch, liebe THS-Leser. Es handelt sich um den UN Report (kostenloses PDF) Disaster Relief 2.0: The Future of Information Sharing in Humanitarian Emergencies.

Individuals everywhere are interconnected by technology as never before. In 2011 more than 5 billion mobile phone subscriptions are in use worldwide, creating connectivity in many parts of the globe where previously we talked only of a digital divide. Mobile uptake, including access to the mobile Internet, is creating new market forces and reshaping businesses around the world, including the business of humanitarian aid. The global response to the January 2010 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti showed how connected individuals are becoming increasingly central to humanitarian emergency response and recovery. Haitians trapped under rubble used text messaging to send pleas for help. Concerned citizens worldwide engaged in a variety of ways, from sending in donations via SMS, to using shared networks to translate and map requests for assistance. Powered by cloud-, crowd-, and SMS-based technologies, individuals can now engage in disaster response at an unprecedented level. Traditional relief organizations, volunteers, and affected communities alike can, when working together, provide, aggregate and analyze information that speeds, targets and improves humanitarian relief. This trend toward communications driven by and centered on people is challenging and changing the nature of humanitarian aid in emergencies.

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