The First
International Global Disaster Information Network (GDIN)
Information Technology Exposition and Conference9-11 October 2000, Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A.
The First International Global Disaster Information Network (GDIN) Information Technology Exposition and Conference, to be held in Hawaii on 9-11 October 2000, will explore the needs of participants in government, business, and nonprofit sectors related to emergency management information technologies, their development, and operational use.
Every year natural and human-induced disasters take a tragic and devastating toll on people, property, trade, and the environment in the Pacific and around the globe. Timely and accurate information supporting all phases of preparation, mitigation, response, and recovery is essential.
Regional disaster networks linked to form a global disaster information network can use advances in communications, monitoring, and information technologies to support response to disasters across political and organizational boundaries. The mission of the GDIN initiative is to foster the development and effective use of these networks. The Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) is a key part of this network in the Pacific region.
FOCUS
This exposition and conference will complement GDIN policy initiatives and focus on:
- Data/Information Resources
- Networking Technologies
- Strategies in Establishing Operational Networks
- Existing and Emerging Information Technologies
- Forums Addressing Operational Activities
CONFERENCE GOALS
This conference will bring together technology developers and service providers with operational users to:
- Build the capacity and capability for users to understand and apply emerging information technologies
- Help interested users to establish regional information centers and networks
- Demonstrate the operational use of relevant technologies and methods by sharing user experiences
- Connect information technology/service providers with appropriate users within the emergency management community
- Explore successful methods of establishing organizational and institutional affiliations leading to the effective use of information resources
CONFERENCE FEATURES
This conference will use a variety of formats to create a comprehensive understanding of the information needs of emergency managers and
the technologies that address those needs. These include:
- Daily Keynote Forums that showcase senior-level presenters familiar with the emergency management community who will focus each day’s activities
- Sessions comprising both presentation and panel discussion on topics of interest to mid/senior-level decision makers and managers
- “Round table” forums that explore—in-depth—issues related to how information resources may be obtained and used, and how organizations can effectively integrate these resources to support operational activities
- Extensive expositions of existing and emerging information technologies involving government and commercial organizations Workshops that demonstrate information’s role in supporting emergency and disaster management
PARTICIPANTS
- Distinguished international planning committee of key sector representatives
- Sponsorship by federal, state, commercial, and international emergency management organizations
- Emergency managers
- Information technology/resource providers
- Mid/senior level representatives of the operational community, government, NGOs, and industry
International GDIN conferences focusing on establishing policy-level framework have been held in Washington, D.C., in July 1998 and Mexico City in May 1999. Future policy conferences have been scheduled for spring 2000 in Ankara, Turkey, and 2001 in Canberra, Australia. Meanwhile, disaster information networks among U.S. federal, civil, state, local, and military components, as well as international governmental and private entities, are already underway through groups like the Hawaii-based PDC.
For more information: see http://www.erim-int.com/CONF/GDIN/gdin.html