Relief Network Model for Efficient Disaster Management and Disaster Recovery

Abstract

The number of disasters the world over has registered an upward trend. Not only in India but also across the globe, the last two decades have seen an upsurge in natural and man-made disasters. Such disasters are not only a significant drain in resources, but they mar the capability of the government and institutions for a significant period of time. This geometric increase has also alerted governments the world over to develop capacities for dealing with such disasters. The great Asian tsunami of 2004 prompted the Indian Government to enact the Disaster Management Act in 2005. A number of other countries have also enacted their own disaster management acts. One of the major issues faced in dealing with disasters is proper coordination among various stakeholders. Various studies have examined approaches to improve coordination and hence deal with disasters effectively and efficiently. However, to date the effective coordination in a disaster management effort has not been achieved. ICT has been used for improving coordination during disasters in recent disasters in Thailand and India. A few studies have also examined the potential use of ICT for improved coordination. This paper develops a conceptual model for the use of ICTs for effective coordination and management of disasters and presents an IT-enabled relief network model for effective disaster management and recovery.