Spatial information sharing

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CRISISRESPONSEVOL :1 1 | ISSUE:3 | MARCH 2016 WWW.C R I SI S-RESPO NSE.CO M J O U R N A L
PLUS: Interoperability; Family support during victim identification;
Mass casualty management lessons from Paris incidents;
Critical space infrastructure and security; Displacement crisis in
Europe; Insider threats to critical national infrastructure

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www.graphicviolence.co.uk
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ISSN 1745-8633
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March 2016 | vol:11 | issue:3
contents
News ��4
Comment��8
Features
Resilience in informal settlements��10
It is vital to understand the self-regulating dynamic of
informal settlements, contends Evgenia Mitroliou
World Civil Defence Day��13
ICDO President Vladimir Kuvshinov’s message
to the global civil defence community
Flood response in Georgia��14
Last year Tbilisi suffered devastating floods
that killed 22 people and hundreds of animals
from the Georgian capital’s zoo
Interoperability utopia��16
The word interoperability doesn’t necessarily flow easily
from the lips, which is analogous to the difficulty of
achieving it in practice, according to Brian Dillon
Why do we still make the same mistakes?��18
Corporations and businesses have crisis procedures
in place, yet they often seem to forget what they have
learnt when crisis strikes, says Caroline Sapriel
INGO kidnap – a challenging new dynamic ��20
Andrew Brown traces how fatalities and lawsuits have
improved response and negotiation in kidnapping, arguing
that these pressures also apply to INGOs and NGOs
Incident analysis
The Bacha Khan University attack��24
Four gunmen stormed the Bacha Khan University in
Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing 21 people and
injuring another 22. Luavut Zahid visits the scene
Support in victim identification processes��27
How responders can help families to reduce trauma during
identification processes, by Erik de Soir and Emily Hough
Earthquake public preparedness��30
Gillian Dacey looks at the challenge of convincing people
to take earthquake preparedness activities seriously
Conflict and displacement
Iraq’s mental healthcare crisis��32
As the violence in Iraq continues, mental health needs
require careful and urgent attention, says Alys Brown
Sexual violence in conflict��34
Understanding how, why, if and when sexual violence is
used is central to understanding and responding to armed
conflict, contend Dr Dyan Mazurana and Phoebe Donne
Mass sexual abuse: Portent of wider crisis?�38
Lina Kolesnikova and Emily Hough examine
how an increase in sexual attacks could be in
danger of damaging European cohesion
Displacement crisis in Europe��40
Much has been facilitated, enabled and achieved
to respond to the emergency looming on Europe’s
doorstep, explain Lisa Hastert and Marcia Kammitsi
The border security paradigm ��42
Dr Attila Freska Attila Freska outlines strategic security
imperatives when seeking effective control of frontiers
in an age of porous borders and global radicalisation
Picking up the pieces: UXO in Syria��44
James Le Mesurier and Ethan Wilson describe
training and equipment to help the White Helmets
assist the civilian communities of Syria
University attack in Pakistan p24Floods in Georgia p14
EMA Georgia Luavut Zahid

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CRISISRESPONSE
Cover story: INGOs and kidnap
Cover illustration: Nick Lowndes
Urban services in armed conflict��46
Some 50 million people are affected by armed conflict in
urban areas, with effects that go beyond the visible signs
of destruction, say Michael Talhami and colleagues
UNISDR science event
The North Atlantic and weather extremes��50
Dr Aurélie Duchez and colleagues look at connecting the
dots between climate change, extreme weather and health
The Aral Sea disaster��53
Dr Abror Gadaev and colleagues from Uzbekistan present
possible sustainable solutions to the Aral Sea disaster
Simulation aids training in Japan��56
Dr Sonoe Mashino describes Japanese university
collaboration on a disaster nursing global leadership
programme, and the technology it utilises
Medical response
Europe’s emergency medical corps��58
The EU’s Medical Corps will mobilise medical teams
and equipment to emergencies, writes Monique Pariat
Casualty management in counter-terror ��60
Emergency medical support specialists from France’s
counterterrorist tactical unit, RAID, look at lessons learnt
Technology
CRJ RD: First responder safety��64
Ian Portelli, Megan Mantaro and colleagues present
possible solutions to firefighter fatalities
Critical space infrastructure and security��66
Dr Liviu Mureșan and Alexandru Georgescu
discuss the complex evolution of space systems
and potential future vulnerabilities
The ripple effect of insider threat attacks��72
Ryan Meeks considers resilient critical
national infrastructure in the age of connected
systems within the Internet of Things
Social media analysis tools��78
It is important to integrate social media into
emergency management practices, say Hayley
Watson, Susan Anson and Kush Wadhwa. But
don’t be daunted, there are tools to help
Spatial information sharing��82
Ivan Baehr provides an overview of how spatial information
for humanitarian response has developed, as well as
the challenges in implementing this technology
Innovation in crisis��86
The EU-funded Driver project aims to valorise European
innovation and science in crisis management by assessing
and delivering solutions for crisis management
Hover power��88
Dr Dave Sloggett examines the ways that helicopters
provide assistance to people in disaster stricken
areas and the vital role that they perform
In Depth
Legal liability in nuclear accidents��90
Effective decision-making records��92
Regulars
Events��94
Books��96
Looking back��97
Frontline��98
Emily Hough speaks to Dr Martina C Fuchs
of the Real Medicine Foundation
T
he geopolitical
aspects of the
global migration
crisis currently appear
to be overshadowing
those of climate-related
issues and human-caused
technological disasters.
The world is possibly
experiencing its worst refugee crisis ever:
around 60 million people around the globe have
fled their homes, displaced by conflict, violence
or persecution. Predictably, the main – though
by no means exclusive – cause of this exodus
is conflict, whose attendant effects extend far
beyond the communities directly involved.
Eighty-six per cent of the world’s refugees
are being sheltered by developing countries,
says the UNHCR. Mass migration of this
scale is an immensely difficult situation to
manage with dignity and humanity in any
circumstances. The situation in Europe in
particular appears to be in danger of spawning
far wider consequences, exposing fault lines
in European unity and politics, possibly
threatening the cohesion of its societies.
This is particularly true with regard to
the controversial subject of integration,
where public sympathy for refugees has
suffered some erosion after incidents of
sexual attacks and harassment (page 38).
Our article on page 40 looks at how the
European Commission is co-ordinating
requests for assistance from those countries
at the frontline of the crisis, while possible
solutions in terms of border control
technology are outlined on page 42.
In case we needed any reminder of why so
many people are making the dangerous journey
to what they hope will be a safe haven, the
article on page 44 reports on the staggering
levels of UXO dropped onto civilian communities
by airstrikes in Syria, while page 46 looks
at the detrimental effect of conflict on urban
services. And lest we forget the psychological
impacts of war, its effects on mental health are
examined in the article on page 32, while sexual
violence in conflict is discussed on page 34.
So this is how the narrative of this edition of
CRJ has been shaped – we can only present the
briefest snapshot into how the trauma of conflict
not only causes near-inconceivable suffering to
those who are directly caught up in it, but also
how its effects inevitably seep across borders
into neighbouring countries and far beyond.
Emily Hough
ICRC US Navy | Virginia Tech
Services in urban conflict p46 RD: First responder safety p64
comment
3

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T
imely and reliable information is essential in emergencies
and disaster management. When disaster strikes –
whether natural, technical or through conflict – it is
critical to know where, when and what is happening: how many
people are affected, the extent of the affected area and damage,
and the location of resources available. Sharing geographical
information through web solutions may speed up communication
and facilitate co-ordination in a complex environment that often
involves many different players in rapidly changing settings.
When I began work as a Red Cross delegate in civil war-
torn Mozambique in the early 1990s, messages from the
remote provinces to HQ in Maputo were transmitted by poor
HF radio communication, and this was possible only at certain
times of the day, owing to atmospheric conditions. To make
the message understandable to the receiver, the operator
had to spell each word using the radio communication
alphabet. The only alternative was for letters to be delivered by
trustworthy passengers travelling on one of the twice-weekly
flights to the capital from the local provincial aerodrome.
The only topographic maps available were charts drawn
up by Portuguese colonial powers for administrative
purposes, and these were available only with an approved
signature from one of the country’s ministries.
In my work of planning humanitarian relief intervention, I often felt
the lack of geographical overview and updated spatial information.
A decade later, the earthquake in Bam, Iran, in 2003 caused
severe damage to the town and led to the death of between 30,000
and 40,000 people, with approximately 20,000 injured (CRJ 1:1).
The only map available to the first international responders was a
hand-drawn sketch map copied from the Lonely Planet Travellers
Guide by Jesper Holmer Lund of Unocha (see page 84).
Today, the rapid growth in space and information technologies
make it possible to monitor emergencies with remote
sensing. Responders can analyse and evaluate damage from
satellite imagery and share results via web-GIS solutions.
Mobile communication (smartphones, tablets and satellite
communication) further enables the sharing of real-time
spatial information with response personnel in the field.
Since 2000, the UN’s Operational Satellite Application Programme
(Unosat) which is part of the United Nations Institute for Training
and Research (Unitar), and hosted at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland,
has delivered satellite-derived analysis to support disaster
management and humanitarian response. Unosat collaborates
with a number of space agencies, research institutions and
humanitarian organisations, and acts as user intermediary to the
International Charter on Space and Major Disaster for requests
emanating from UN-agencies responding to natural disasters.
The charter is a system of space data acquisition and delivery
activated by participating space agencies in case of major natural
or man-made disasters. It provides free satellite imagery and
data for Unosat’s Rapid Mapping Service to generate information
and to publish maps for the use of the UN Disaster Assessment
Co-ordination (UNDAC) teams and other operative field teams.
Unosat’s Rapid Mapping unit conducts analysis comparing
pre- and post-event satellite imagery to detect the extent of
damaged areas, mudslides, physical damage to infrastructure
or the presence of dislocated populations. It then converts
this analysis into vector data for presentation in GIS.
According to the dynamic of the situation, the mapping unit
Spatial information sharing
Based on 25 years of practical experience, Ivan Baehr provides an
overview of how spatial information for humanitarian response has
developed, as well as the challenges in implementing this technology
Technology is helping
managers and analysts to
gain an overview of isolated
areas which, owing to
logistics and infrastructure
collapse, may not immediately
be reached by professional
response personnel
Kampee Patisena | 123rf

FLASH_AP_CRISIS RESPONSE JOURNAL_LEADER Hasty et Scan_116x265mm et 3 mm fond perdu_220414.indd 1 22/04/14 13:01
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repeats the analysis with adequate frequency to provide updated
status of the situation. In order to constantly improve and refine
the analysis, Unosat performs on-ground verification of the
results either with its own staff or through partners. Thus, the
analysis becomes more representative of the real world.
In view of the apocalyptic situation after the December 26, 2004
tsunami, I got in contact with the ESRI-DK distributor, Informi-
GIS. Assisted by Jan Juul Jensen from Informi-GIS in Denmark,
we set up a model for an online common operational picture
(COP), which later became the basis for the development of the
Unosat Live Map, which offers online scalable spatial information
sharing, compiling information from various sources and partners
to one COP. This approach enables a mash-up presentation of
crowdsourced data, together with expert analysis. Unosat Live Map
ensures that all communicating parties are working to the same
map, minimising misunderstanding and facilitating efficient and
effective decision-making. Furthermore, this improved overview
optimises co-ordination and the allocation of scarce resources.
Through the Geo-Pictures project Unosat has, in collaboration
with research institutions, humanitarian organisations and
private enterprises, contributed to the development of a mobile
solution for near-real-time sharing of spatial information
between disaster management, assessment teams and
response personnel in the field. The mobile app for professional
disaster responders developed by AnsuR Technologies and
called ASIGN-pro, enables the transfer of messages and visual
information direct from the field unit to the Live map.
In addition to the ASIGN-pro app, AnsuR Technologies – in
partnership with Unosat – launched the UN-ASIGN app for
crowdsourcing of photos in disaster-affected areas. This app works
on Android, iPhone and Windows phones. The crowdsourced
photos help managers and analysts to get an overview of isolated
areas which, owing to logistics and infrastructure collapse, may
not immediately be reached by professional response personnel.
Examples include smaller islands, as was the case in Typhoon
Haiyan in the Philippines, or mountain villages, such as after the
earthquakes in Pakistan and Nepal. There are limitations, in that a
mobile network in the disaster-affected area would affect use of the
app, but it can function offline for later upload via WiFi connection.
The ASIGN app and the Unosat Live map were iterative tested
together by the German Johanniter Unfall Hilfe (JUH) and Austrian
Disaster Management Advice and Training (DMAT) at EUCP
Assessment Mission Courses at Cyprus. They were also deployed in
active operations during the humanitarian response to the Philippines
after typhoon Haiyan in 2013 and the Nepal earthquake in 2015.
Full-scale implementation of GIS solutions requires an
organisational culture that is open-minded to technology and willing
to invest in adequate equipment and training. To obtain the full
benefit, adequate resources must be available and new technological
tools must be an integrated part of standing operative procedures.
In addition to applied analysis of satellite images, Unosat has
deployed UAV (drone) technology for humanitarian response. In
certain situations, there might be a request for higher resolution
images of a limited area than available remote sensing products
can offer. In such cases, UAV technology may be the solution.
In Haiti, Unosat provided UAV mapping with high-resolution
geo-referenced images and digital elevation models for an
environmental project in the area of Cité Soleil. However, in
addition to cost considerations, deployment of UAV technology
spatial technology

84 Resources, links, pictures, videos and much more are available for subscribers in our digital and online editions www.crisis-response.com
requires thorough reflections on security, sensitivity and
public experience with flying objects; flying a UAV over a
refugee settlement may be upsetting to traumatised people.
MapAction is the major implementing partner that brings spatial
information into operative action. This is a volunteer organisation that
provides spatial information support to disaster managers in the On-
site operations co-ordination centre (OSOCC) operated by UNOCHA.
The OSOCC provides support and co-ordination to all partners
taking part in a humanitarian response operation; its role is to ensure
the efficient and effective use of all joint efforts and resources.
MapAction produces ad hoc spatial information products
according to immediate needs, such as maps, analysis and reports to
support the operative management and decision-makers. In the field,
MapAction may also assume an intermediate role in interpretation
and presentation of spatial information from agencies like Unosat.
During the international cross-border exercise Triplex 2013 on the
border between Denmark and Germany, I represented Unosat in
the field in collaboration with MapAction and AnsuR Technologies,
presenting Unosat Live map and the ASIGN mobile app.
Recent development of ESRI ArcGIS Online makes the
Live map and ASIGN app – used in combination with ArcGIS
Collector App – powerful tools for the sharing of spatial
information and recording information in the field.
The most recent operative deployment of ASIGN
mobile app and Live map was by Unicef for the planning
and monitoring of the refugee transits camp at Gevgelija
on the border between Macedonia and Greece.
Jesper Frovin Jensen, Emergency Field Co-ordinator with Unicef
Gevgelija explains: “A transit centre with a couple of thousand
refugees passing each day is like a city that needs to develop and
adapt. Using the ASIGN mobile app and the Live map gives us the
opportunity to track and document these ‘urban’ developments and
share them with stakeholders who are not present at the site.”
Through the ASIGN mobile app field personnel can add
visual geo-referenced information to written reporting. The web
map displays with two different interfaces, an ‘editor’ version
allowing personnel to add and edit features on the map, and a
‘monitor’ version allowing readers of the daily situation report
– from New York to the Balkans – to gain an understanding
of spatial relations between objects, locations and changes
in the physical environment described in the narrative.
New challenges
GIS and Web GIS solutions are powerful tools in humanitarian
emergency response and disaster management. However,
full and efficient implementation of new technology also
represents new technical and organisational challenges
to the humanitarian environment. Data foundation may be
the major technical challenge, ensuring data quality and
reliable data capturing in highly dynamic settings.
Recent refugee movements through Europe, where
movements changed rapidly and refugees sought new routes
owing to the closing of borders, is an illustrative example
of a rapidly changing environment in emergencies.
Another challenge is the transfer of large amounts of
data through narrow communication channels. Normal
communication systems often break down in disaster prone
areas. There is a need for solutions that can enhance rapid
information updating outside the digital highways and offline
solutions for continued work in disconnected scenarios.
Likewise, it is essential to use standard equipment that does
not require technical experts or the use of special equipment.
Bringing in expensive special equipment to an emergency
area may cause costly delays for custom clearance.
In regard to organisational challenges, a basic understanding
of GIS and geographical information, as well as staff training at
various levels, is crucial. Response and management personnel
in humanitarian operations are not usually technicians.
It is vital that the end-user considers GIS and spatial
information as a helpful tool to facilitate response activities and
not just another obstacle in an already difficult and stressful
environment. Integration of training for basic understanding of
GIS and spatial information into standard preparation of response
personnel is therefore essential to ensure these personnel are
familiar with the technology before deployment to the field.
Finally, yet importantly, support by decision-makers is also
imperative to the efficient and effective implementation of GIS
solutions as part of standing procedures in humanitarian response.
As stated by Roger Tomlinson (2007) in his Thinking about GIS,
management support with regard to resource allocation, costs and
staff training is essential to the efficient implementation of GIS in any
organisational setting.
References
■■ Tomlinson, Roger (2007): Thinking about
GIS: Geographic Information System Planning for
Managers, Redlands, California: ESRI Press;
■■ Unosat/Unitar (2015): Putting it All Together – How Unosat
Makes Sure Earthquake Relief and Early Recovery in Nepal can
Count on Integrated Geo-Spatial Information, www.unitar.org;
■■ Unosat/Unitar (2015): Unesco and Unitar-Unosat
Team Up to Protect Cultural Heritage with the Latest
Geo-Spatial Technologies, www.unitar.org
Author
Ivan Baehr is a trained
electronic technician,
computing specialist and
social anthropologist. He has
extensive field experience in
humanitarian response and
development work with the
Red Cross in the Southern
Africa and Danish Demining
Group in Afghanistan. Baehr
worked as a web GIS specialist
with the United Nations
Operative Satellite Application
Programme (Unosat) from
2006–2014 with development
and implementation of web
GIS solutions in support of
humanitarian crisis response
Figure 1 After the 2003
earthquake in Bam, which
killed between 30,000 and
40,000 people, the only map
available to international
first responders was a
hand-drawn sketch copied
from the Lonely Planet
Traveller’s Guide by Jesper
Holmer Lund of Unocha
UNOCHA
Figure 2 Nepal earthquake
2015 – Unosat Live
map compiling damage
analysis and services from
various organisations
and agencies with UN-
ASIGN crowdsourcing
images into one common
operational picture
UNOSAT
spatial technology

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