Improving risk data through IT innovations and standardization

The Challenge

In UNDRR’s Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (ROECA), a notable barrier to better uptake of global risk data in many countries in the region is the existing lack of standardization and digital systems, making it challenging to compare, integrate, and apply risk data effectively within and across national organizations. Existing IT infrastructure and digital capabilities may not fully support the potential of advanced technologies to bridge data gaps, limiting the ability to harness innovative solutions for DRR.

Many organizations in the region produce and use climate and disaster risk data, models, and analytics for both public and private benefit, including national departments and agencies, international organizations, universities, non-profits, private companies, and others. But risk data is often produced for single projects with limited coordination or exchange. This can result in duplication of activities and reduce the long term benefit of open access to global and national risk data.

Co-creating Solutions

1. Strengthen Regional Dialogue on Risk Data: convening regional and national actors to discuss ongoing or planned work, find out what exists and can be built upon, and align resources for new activities with ongoing efforts. 
2. Adopt global data standards: Follow a set of global data standards and protocols for risk data collection, processing, and sharing. This improves the consistency, compatibility, and interoperability of data across different systems and platforms. It also facilitates easier integration and use of global risk data at the national and sub-national levels.
3. Implement centralized data repositories: Create centralized risk and disaster loss data repositories and systems to serve as a nationally-owned hub for quality risk data, including those from global sources and national contributions. These repositories would be accessible to national and sub-national users, equipped with tools for easy navigation, data analysis, and extraction.
4. Enhance IT infrastructure and capabilities: Upgrade existing IT infrastructure and digital capacities in the region for risk and disaster loss data management at the national and sub-national levels.
5. Promote data sharing: Foster a culture of data sharing and collaboration among all DRR stakeholders, including international organizations, government agencies, research institutions, and the private sector. Encourage the exchange of data and best practices to help in further reducing duplication and enhancing the overall quality and coverage of risk data.

Emerging Lessons

NDMAs in the region make key decisions regarding the national application and prioritization of risk data, deciding how to integrate vital information into local DRR strategies and actions. UNDRR supports NDMAs in the region to guide the overall direction of risk data collection initiatives, including through partnerships and scaling of successful practices.  With standardized global data at their disposal, national entities are better equipped to conduct comprehensive risk analyses, develop more accurate risk models, and implement targeted DRR strategies that are based on a holistic understanding of risk factors.

The integration of advanced IT innovations can bridge critical data gaps, enabling the identification of previously overlooked risk areas and the forecasting of potential disaster scenarios with greater precision. This technological leap can enhance the capacity of NDMA’s and other actors to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to disasters in a timely and effective manner.

Measuring success

Success factors in the region include the adoption rate of common data standards across national and regional DRR entities, showcasing the degree of data standardization achieved. Qualitative feedback from stakeholders, such as NDMAs and local government units, can offer key insights into stakeholder satisfaction with data harmonization, data relevance.