Crisis Analytics: Big Data Driven Crisis Response

Disasters have long been a scourge for humanity. With the advances in technology (in terms of computing, communications, and the ability to process and analyze big data), our ability to respond to disasters is at an inflection point. There is great optimism that big data tools can be leveraged to process the large amounts of crisis-related data (in the form of user generated data in addition to the traditional humanitarian data) to provide an insight into the fast-changing situation and help drive an effective disaster response. This article introduces the history and the future of big crisis data analytics, along with a discussion on its promise, challenges, and pitfalls

Book review: digital humanitarians: how big data is changing the face of humanitarian response

The overflow of information generated during disasters can be as paralysing to humanitarian response as the lack of information. This flash flood of information is often referred to as Big Data, or Big Crisis Data. Making sense of Big Crisis Data is proving to be an impossible challenge for traditional humanitarian organisations, which is why they’re turning to Digital Humanitarians. Dimitrinka Atanasova finds the most effective and entertaining aspect of the book is the well-thought out link between digital humanitarians and a #DigitalJedis

Coupling early warning services, crowdsourcing, and modelling for improved decision support and wildfire emergency management

The threat of a forest fire disaster increases around the globe as the human footprint continues to encroach on natural areas and climate change effects increase the potential of extreme weather. It is essential that the tools to educate, prepare, monitor, react, and fight natural fire disasters are available to emergency managers and responders and reduce the overall disaster effects. In the context of the I-REACT project, such a big crisis data system is being developed and is based on the integration of information from different sources, automated data processing chains and decision support systems. This paper presents the wildfire monitoring for emergency management system for those involved and affected by wildfire disasters developed for European forest fire disasters

A European research roadmap for optimizing societal impact of big data on environment and energy efficiency

We present a roadmap to guide European research efforts towards a socially responsible big data economy that maximizes the positive impact of big data in environment and energy efficiency. The goal of the roadmap is to allow stakeholders and the big data community to identify and meet big data challenges, and to proceed with a shared understanding of the societal impact, positive and negative externalities, and concrete problems worth investigating. It builds upon a case study focused on the impact of big data practices in the context of Earth Observation that reveals both positive and negative effects in the areas of economy, society and ethics, legal frameworks and political issues. The roadmap identifies European technical and non-technical priorities in research and innovation to be addressed in the upcoming five years in order to deliver societal impact, develop skills and contribute to standardization.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, 1 tabl

The rise of big (crisis) data and ‘digital’ humanitarians: observations and opportunities from an Applied Geohazard Scientist’s perspective

Applications developed using Web 2.0 technologies, such as social media sites, blogs, wikis etc., have had a profound impact on people’s ability to interact and collaborate, and to generate and share content publically through virtual environments. During recent natural disasters there has been an impressive response effort, through web 2.0 technologies, from citizens (digital humanitarians). Tools have been developed overnight to help people find food, shelter or missing relatives or friends. There are examples of how social media, or a mechanism to connect people together, enables people to share feelings and better cope with their situation knowing that others are also experiencing the same problems

Digital volunteer networks and humanitarian crisis reporting

Digital technologies and big data are rapidly transforming humanitarian crisis response and changing the traditional roles and powers of its actors. This article looks at a particular aspect of this transformation – the appearance of digital volunteer networks – and explores their potential to act as a new source for media coverage, in addition to their already established role as emergency response supporters. I argue that digital humanitarians can offer a unique combination of speed and safe access, while escaping some of the traditional constraints of the aid-media relationship and exceeding the conventional conceptualizations of citizen journalism. Journalists can find both challenges and opportunities in the environment where multiple crisis actors are assuming some of the media roles. The article draws on interviews with humanitarian organizations, journalists, and digital volunteer networks about their understanding of digital humanitarian communication and its significance for media coverage of crises