The ethics of data in disaster management and crisis operations
Data has become essential to emergency planning and disaster operations. As a valuable asset when making informed decisions, data provides emergency managers with the opportunity to effectively respond to emergencies with decisive efficiency. However, data that emergency management agencies collect and store – such as data that capture travel movements, document structural damage, and provide information on business operational capabilities – need to be protected and archived in compliance with law and standards.
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For example, when an emergency management agency’s mobile application (app) collects location data during an evacuation, the agency must be transparent about the scope of data collected, such as whether it tracks the general movement of the population or individual evacuees via the app. This transparency helps to build public trust. Trustworthiness is foundational to ethical leadership. Governments and organizations must ensure that emergency management app use is voluntary and that their guidelines on privacy protections are transparent – for example, ensuring that data is anonymous and not centrally stored. The protection of such data is an essential responsibility of those who collect the data as well as anyone having access to the information collected.
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During disaster response and recovery operations, data should be used in ways that are fair. Emergency and business continuity managers must ensure that data-driven decisions do not disproportionately harm or disadvantage any population. This is particularly relevant when using algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) systems with flawed or biased underlying inputs. For example, if disaster assistance funds are allocated based on an algorithm that uses historical data and that data reflects past injustices in resource allocation, certain communities might receive less assistance than others. This may include algorithms and AI platforms used to estimate or assess damages or losses. To ensure ethical data use in disaster management, audit algorithms to avoid bias, and use data in a way that promotes fair outcomes.
Data plays an invaluable role in disaster management. With the collection of such information to ensure evidence-based operations comes a great responsibility to protect data and dispose of it when it is no longer needed. As such, emergency managers increasingly face complex ethical dilemmas during the process of collection, usage, storage, and destruction of their community members’ personal information. By incorporating data management principles like accountability, transparency, privacy, fairness, and beneficence, they can more effectively and ethically manage that information. Adhering to ethical standards can help organizations build public trust, safeguard individuals’ rights, and ensure that the benefits of data-driven decision-making do not come at the cost of personal privacy or fair treatment. As the demand for evidence-based decision-making continues to grow, emergency management professionals must commit to ethical data practices that respect the needs of the community and the rights of individuals. In times of crisis, data can save lives, but it must be managed with care, responsibility, and respect for ethical principles.
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