Using technology to respond to disasters in Fiji
FAO is using data collection technology to reduce the impacts of disasters on agriculture and food security in Fiji and across the Pacific. As part of this initiative, FAO and the Fiji Ministry of Agriculture have been running a training exercise that changes the way disaster assessment and response is handled across the Pacific.
The training introduces KoBo Toolbox, a free data collection software which can be customized to assess the impacts of disasters, including impacts on agriculture and food security. The training is being facilitated by Ms. Dominique Blariaux, a Disaster Risk Management Consultant with FAO.
“By combining three steps in one; the collection of field data, transferring data to a computer, and then compiling information in a spreadsheet for rapid analysis, the needs assessment processes is more accurate and significantly quicker than before. “
“We can collect data on mobile devices like a smartphone, tablet or laptop then send it to a central database. Information can be entered into the device even if there is no internet connection. As soon as the device is in range of a network, the data will immediately be sent to the central collection point,” said Ms. Blariaux.
“This gives more time for analysis, but more importantly, it reduces the time in which information reaches decision makers, creating the opportunity for faster and improved reactions in response to any disaster,” said Ms. Blariaux. “The earlier we understand the scope of a disaster, the faster we can appropriately respond to priority needs of the communities.”
The KoBo Toolbox software was developed jointly by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and supported by USAID. The FAO project has been funded by under the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Department’s Disaster Preparedness Programme (DIPECHO).
Testing in the Pacific
KoBo Toolbox has already been tested in Fiji by the Ministry of Agriculture to monitor drought conditions and again in January to assess the impact of TC Ula on the Lau group. It is being tested in Vanuatu for El Nino and drought monitoring and is currently being developed by FAO in the Solomon Islands by the National Disaster Management Office for multi-sector disaster assessments.
The Software Simulation Training Exercise was held at Fiji’s Ministry of Agriculture was held in Suva with 19 representatives of Fiji’s Food Security Cluster participating.
The workshop, the first of four to be held in all Divisions in Fiji, introduces the digital version of the Initial Disaster Assessment form developed specifically for Fiji by the country’s Food Security and Livelihood Cluster members, giving participants the opportunity to become familiar with the form before the next disaster occurs.
Attending the workshop were Ministry of Agriculture senior staff and Extension Officers, and representatives from UN Women, Biosecurity Authority of Fiji, the National Food Security & Nutrition Centre, the University of the South Pacific, Medical Services Pacific and PGS (Participatory Guarantee Systems).