Information sharing platform to assist rescue activities in huge disasters

Abstract

Archipelago, [1] we must continuously prepare for disasters.All local governments cannot escape from the various natural disasters including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, typhoons, f loods, wind damages, and heavy snow. Also, large cities such as the Tokyo metropolitan area, Keihanshin area, and Chukyo area have high density of buildings and transportations, which may magnify the effects of terrorism or disasters. In fact, major Japanese cities are ranked high as dangerous places susceptible to disasters. [2] Measures to reduce the disaster damage as much as possible are important to protect the lives and properties of the residents, and to help industrial promotion by ensuring a region where people can invest safely.In disaster measures, establishing frameworks and systems to collect and utilize information is essential along with the preparations of hardware such as earthquake-proof structures. Case-by-case decisions are necessary to deal with disasters including the unexpected, and to do so, it is necessary to gather and share as much accurate information as possible.[3] [4] In that sense, there is plenty of room for the development of a disaster prevention information system using the state-of-the-art information technology. However, in practice, during the Great East Japan Earthquake, handwritten memos were posted all over the walls and various pieces of information were scribbled on whiteboards.Communications between the organizations were mainly done by phone and fax, and these were the causes of delay and loss of communication. Of course, the importance of information collection and sharing is widely recognized,