The document summarizes interviews conducted after the 2015 Gorkha earthquake in Nepal. It found that while the UN-developed CLUSTER system was effective for information sharing between central governments, local information gathering and support for victims was limited due to political instability. It also noted a lack of standardized disaster reporting formats and public education. The document proposes introducing NIED's Web-GIS based disaster information sharing system to help visualize spatial data and coordinate responses between local municipalities.

1. An introduction to
disaster information sharing system
and its possible utilization
in the aftermath of 2015 Gorkha Earthquake
Tadashi ISE (1 and Akhilesh Kumar Karna (2
1) Principal Research Fellow, Disaster Risk Unit,
National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED), Japan
2) Freelance Engineer,
Sunrise Cityhomes-B2, Anamnagar New Baneshwor, Kathmandu, Nepal
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2. Self-introduction
• National Research Institute for Earth Science and
Disaster Prevention (NIED), Japan
– 1963 Established
– the management of the seismograph, mainly analysis and
measurement of natural disasters
• Our Team
– In recent years, in order to improve the disaster prevention
force, social science approach is necessary
– Studying the utilization of disaster information
• My research theme
– Research and development of disaster information sharing
system
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3. 2015 Gorkha Earthquake
• Date : 11:56 NST (local time) on 25 April, 2015
• magnitude : 7.8 (MW)
• epicenter : the central part of NEPAL
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• At that time, disaster information how to share, how had
been utilized
The interviews to people of various positions

4. List of Interviewees
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*26-May
JICA NEPAL, Tribhuvan University Institute of Engineering, National Society for Earthquake
Technology-Nepal (NSET)
*27-May
Japanese resident, Nepal Electricity Authority, Nepal Electricity Authority Ratnapark
Distribution Center, General public
*28-May
Victim in Tundekhel Shelter, World Vision (NPO) , Nepal Risk Reduction Consortium, Nepal
Health Research Council (NHRC), Freelance Engineer, JAPANESE RED CROSS SOCIETY
*29-May
Grocery stores management in Charikot, Dolakha,
Sindhu Sadabahar Hospital in Khadichaur, Sindhupalchok
*30-May
Nepal Electricity Authority, JICA Expert, Victim in Sankhu, NPO, Tibetan children’s Project
*31-May
Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City Office, Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Ministry of Home
Affairs District Administration Office, JICA NEPAL
*1-June
Sagarmata Television Pvt. Ltd., Department of Water Induced Disaster Prevention,
priest of Bodanato., Japanese Mountaineer

5. Urban Safety of Mega City in Asia 2015 in Kathmandu 5

6. Summary of Issues in Utilization of Disaster Info.
• For information sharing among central governments, such as
information linkage between the Nepal government and
governmental institution of various countries, a mechanism to
share information of damage and responding situations using
the information sharing system called the CLUSTER SYSTEM is
functioning with the support of the United Nations.
• The CLUSTER SYSTEM, which was developed by OCHA, is a
system that has been used in a number of countries and was
effectively applied to handle the 25 April Nepal earthquake
situation.
• The interviewees of this survey including staff of the Nepal
Health Research Council (NHRC), which is a research institute
of MoHP; the JICA Nepal Office (Survey No. 26); and the
National Society of Earthquake Technology (NSET), which is a
major earthquake research institute in Nepal (Survey No. 2),
said the CLUSTER SYSTEM was the main mechanism used to
share disaster information.
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7. Summary of Issues in Utilization of Disaster Info.
On the other hand……
• With the support of the United Nations, central
governments of various countries are taking action,
but due to the limited capability of local
governments affected by the political situation,
which has been unstable for a long time, support for
disaster victims is not comprehensive enough.
• disaster information gathering from the disaster site
to the district department level is mainly done by
mobile phones
• Reporting format of various disaster information is
not prepared.
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8. Approach toward Introduction of a Disaster
Information Sharing System
 NIED has long studied and developed a disaster
information sharing system to support the smooth
utilization of disaster information.
 based on Web-GIS for sharing geospatial information
indicating disaster situations and corresponding
statuses on the Internet.
 the visual organization and presentation of disaster
information, including to neighboring municipalities
as geospatial information.
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9. Urban Safety of Mega City in Asia 2015 in Kathmandu 9
(2) Display procedures
of each operation with
menu buttons
(3) Visually indicate
items that should be
entered
(1) Tab format to classify
operations of emergency
disaster correspondence
Figure : Image of two-layered tabs and menu buttons
- Based of Web-GIS
- Map screen & List screen

10. Urban Safety of Mega City in Asia 2015 in Kathmandu 10
Target municipality
of this system
Neighboring municipality
Neighborin
municipality
Figure : Image of information sharing with neighboring autonomous communities

11. System Briefing Session
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Content
Date Date: 1, Nov, 2015
From 10:30 to 12:00
Place Radisson Hotel
Participant Kathmandu City
Lalitpur City
Baktpur City
Thimi City
Baktpur District Development
Committee
Table : Explanatory meeting Overview

12. Summary
 This document, using the results of an interview
survey conducted in May 2015, summarized the
problems of disaster information sharing and
utilization in Nepal
 and presented approaches toward the introduction
of the disaster information sharing system to
overcome current problems.
 In the future, a development and implementation
method of a practical and effective disaster
information sharing system needs to be discussed.
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13. Thank you for your attention.
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15. Results of Interviews
1) Education before Disaster Occurrence
 Through an initiative of the National Society for
Earthquake Technology-Nepal (NSET) and other
organizations, disaster prevention education is
provided and the effect is partially observed.
 However, among the general public of Nepal, hazard
maps are not well recognized
 and the level of understanding of the correct
response to protect oneself at the time of an
earthquake is low, so disaster prevention education
cannot be said to be very effective.
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16. Results of Interviews
2) Communication Environment after Disaster
 In the central area of Kathmandu, some interviewees
said that mobile phone communication was available for
20 minutes after the disaster in some areas.
 Communications started becoming congested 30 minutes
after the disaster and recovered about a half day later (5
to 6 hours).
 However, even around Kathmandu Valley, it took about
three weeks for the restoration of service in some areas.
 Internet services in the central part of Kathmandu
recovered in a few hours, and no significant damage was
observed. However, use of smartphones or personal
computers was restricted due to electricity outages.
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17. Results of Interviews
3) Basic System of Response to Disaster
 In the event of a large-scale disaster such as the 25
April earthquake, the Nepal Emergency Operation
Center (NEOC) of the Ministry of Home Affairs is
officially tasked with conducting overall risk
management.
 However, due to the unstable political situation that
has pertained for a prolonged period, NEOC is not
functioning effectively and thus disaster response is
in fact carried out with the help of the United
Nations and governmental institutions of countries
providing aid.
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18. Results of Interviews
4) Collection and Sharing of Knowledge Regarding Damage
(among central governments)
 Information sharing among central governments, such as
between the Nepal government and governmental
institutions of various countries, is conducted relying on the
CLUSTER SYSTEM, which was developed through an UN-OCHA.
 However, given the limited capability of the Nepal
government, the actual operation is conducted by the United
Nations.
 The CLUSTER SYSTEM is used to summarize the activities of
governmental departments, and the information on deaths
and injuries collected from the hospital network overseen by
the Ministry of Health and Population functioned relatively
well. Having the national hospital as the Hub-Hospital,
damage in respective regions are summarized and reported.
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19. Results of Interviews
5) Collection and Sharing of Damage Information
(among local governments)
 Information sharing at the level of local governments
between the site of a disaster and the central
government is realized mainly via mobile phones.
 ex) In Kathmandu City, 71 engineers are engaged in
the task in 35 districts, in Lalitpur City, and 17
engineers engaged in the task for 30 districts to
understand the damage to constructions. The
information gathered by them is reported to their
respective district administration offices.
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20. Results of Interviews
6) Provision of Information to Disaster Victims
 With the support of the United Nations, central
governments of various countries are taking action,
but due to the limited capability of local
governments affected by the political situation,
which has been unstable for a long time, support for
disaster victims is not comprehensive enough.
 The information provided by the government is
inadequate and, for the psychological ease of
residents, more information is need.
 In the city of Kathmandu, a system was launched
whereby ID cards are distributed to disaster victims
to control distribution of supplies, etc.
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21. Results of Interviews
7) Others
 One of the largest characteristics of the damage
caused by the 25 April earthquake is that many
Nepalese people choose to sleep outdoors for more
than a month as they were afraid of damage to
buildings caused by aftershocks.
 This generated anxieties over property loss and
damage to health.
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