23 July 2021
AperTO - Archivio Istituzionale Open Access dell'Università di Torino
Original Citation:
Web Information Emergency Management. The role of information in the framework of the Italian Emergency Management
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Web Information Emergency
Management
In the internet and web 2.0 era the need of information is increased. Recent major a n d m i n o r d i s a s t e r s highlighted that information is a crucial element in emergency management. Informing the population is the focus of any civil protection activity and program.
Risk perception and social vulnerability are widely discussed issues “when a disaster occurs”: a “day-after” approach that should be replaced by a “day-before” one. Is that a cultural problem? Is it a technical issue? Is it a communication issue? Is it an organisational concern?
A c a d e m i c , e x p e r t s , institutions are called to be m o r e e f f e c t i v e i n transferring natural hazards k n o w l e d g e ( t e c h n i c a l contents). They should a b a n d o n t h e “ E l i t e s Knowledge” approach by s u p p o r t i n g “ O p e n Knowledge” and “Open Data” perspectives.
T o s u s t a i n a n O p e n Knowledge approach the challenge is also to switch f r o m « p r o t e c t i o n / passivity» (focused on d i s a s t e r e v e n t ) t o «resilience» (focused on vulnerability).
Framework*
Approaches
STRADA Exercise #EXPC Verbania
Web information search increases during a disaster. However there are cases of misleading or inaccurate information published also by media. Reliable validated scientific information on natural hazards becomes a crucial need: scientific contents “findability” score is not a validation index.
** STRADA: Adaptation strategies to climate change for the natural hazards management in the cross-border territory (co-funded by the EU Italia-Svizzera Cross-border Co-operation Programme 2007-2013) - www.progettostrada.net/ Credits. Icons from The Noun Project: Puzzle by Márcio Duarte, Thinking by Dirk A. Rowe, Cloud, by James Fenton, Speech Bubble, by Mateo Zlatar, Speech Bubble, by Ben Rex Furneaux | Hazards icons by OCHA
Elena Rapisardi 1, Marco Giardino 1, Marco Cordola 2, Mariella Monticone 2, Renata Pelosini 3, Serena Poncino 3.
1 NatRisk, Interdepartmental Centre for Natural Risks, University of Turin; 2 Regione Piemonte Civil Protection Department; 3 ARPA Piemonte
The role of information in the framework of the Italian Emergency
Management - The STRADA Project** civil protection exercise
dynamic
static
flow
E a c h p h a s e o f t h e “disaster cycle” implies an “information cycle”, that varies in relation to the
t y p e o f h a z a r d
concerned. In each phase of the disaster cycle, i n f o r m a t i o n r e q u i r e s d i f f e r e n t t y p e o f management and can be f e e d e d b y d i f f e r e n t sources.
I n a n y p h a s e o f t h e information cycle, content c a n b e c l a s s i f i e d b y «temporal permanence». Static could represent the core information in an «Information Preparedness» p e r s p e c t i v e ( h a z a r d awareness) although not exclusively. Information flow (e.g. Social Media) is the area in which validation and validity are crucial issues.
Test of an innovative information flow aiming at delivering real
time information and knowledge on the emergency event.
content
editorial team
A joint and multi-competences team: Regione Piemonte civil protection experts, Arpa Piemonte experts, web experts (UNITO & Civil Protection Volunteer). Liasing teams and key players, managing and publishing information.
Objective
Information as a Cycle
* EGU 2013, Poster, The «Natural Hazard WIKISAURUS». Explanation and Understanding of Natural Hazards to Build Disaster Resilience E.Rapisardi, S.Di Franco, M. Giardino
http://pcexverbania.wordpress.com / «information before» «information during» About Contatti Info
News - Event update in real time
Cosa fare in emergenza
- Aree di Emergenza
- Durante una frana
- Se sei in auto
- Durante l’alluvione
Sistema di Allertamento
- Scenari di rischio
- Classi di precipitazione
- Mappa zone di Allerta
Livelli di Allerta e Azioni
- Situazione Ordinaria
- Ordinaria Criticità
- Moderata Criticità
- Elevata Criticità
clear and accessible information on:
-geological and geomorphological framewrok
-hazard and risk in the concerned area, (including
an historical insights on previous events)
-contact & info
-the Civil Protection System (duties and
responsibilities, processes and procedures)
-the alerting system
-weather forecast (CFR Bulletin)
-links
web site
-event news report (delivered through a mobile field data
collection system implemented by GeositLab - UNITO allowing web collaboration and sharing in real time
-research documentation on the event: geological,
geomorphological, historical
-emergency management news report and insights
-weather forecast: CFR Bulletin explained and
commented
Spreading validated emergency information requires both a high degree of cooperation and an interdisciplinary approach. In this perspective, there is a need to involve, engage and commit not only experts, scientists, practitioners, civil servants, but also citizens, volunteers and media representatives. In this framework “communication” should be considered as a specific competence and not as waste technique. This approach is supported by knowledge, information, skills and competencies (abilities) pertaining to various thematic fields: scientific, legal, logistics, historical, organizational, psychological, sociological, cultural, health. If not taken into account, this complexity can augment the exposure to the «unsafe» side of social information.
The exercise highlighted that some changes are fostered in the Civil Protection procedures and approaches:
➡
redesigning the Communication Function within the Civil Protection emergencyresponse procedures; as a stand-by official web editorial team with specific role, competences and responsibility; this team should not be seen as a competitor of the press office, but as a resource to positively improve communication to the public
➡
defining and promoting easy to use guidelines for civil protection web sites, aimed at abetter use of web to spread civil protection information and knowledge; this means defining an up-to-date web communication strategy based on acknowledged quality criteria (IQ Concepts, Tools, Metrics, Measures and Methodologies) to improve websites performances
➡
reshaping skills and competences within the emergency players reckoning emergencymanagement, web communication and hazards knowledge
➡
committing the key players (academic, pratictioners, communication experts) in thisprocess whose aim is to foster a better awareness.
Perspectives
Google Trend Search - 1st March 2013
2009
2012
