In a bid to help communities recover and rebuild faster in the aftermath of natural disasters in India, Facebook on Thursday introduced new measures, including its \u2018Disaster Maps\u2019 feature in the country.As part of the effort, Facebook will make data from \u2018Disaster Maps\u2019 available to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS), a non-profit organisation working on disaster resilience.<\/p>\n
\u2018Disaster Maps\u2019, which was introduced globally in June, uses aggregated, de-identified Facebook data to help organisations address the critical gap in information they often face when responding to natural disasters.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn times of disaster, our platform is a valuable source of information\u2014whether it\u2019s letting your friends and family know you are safe with \u2018Safety Check\u2019 feature or using Facebook to raise donations for relief efforts,\u201d said Ritesh Mehta, Head of Programmes, India, South and Central Asia at Facebook.<\/p>\n
\u201cThrough our work with the National Disaster Management Authority and the roll out of Disaster Maps in India and the disaster information volunteers initiative, we hope we can help communities get the information they need to prepare, respond and recover if disaster strikes,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The measures were announced at Facebook\u2019s first annual \u2018Disaster Response Summit\u2019 here, attended by policy makers, think tanks and humanitarian organisations.<\/p>\n
Facebook will provide multiple types of maps during disaster response efforts.<\/p>\n
\u2019Location Density Maps\u2019 show where people are located before, during and after a disaster.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can compare this information to historical records, like population estimates based on satellite images. Comparing these data sets can help response organizations understand areas impacted by a natural disaster,\u201d Facebook said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u2018Movement Maps\u2019 illustrate patterns of movement between different neighbourhoods or cities over a period of several hours.<\/p>\n
By understanding these patterns, response organisations can better predict where resources will be needed, gain insight into patterns of evacuation or predict where traffic will be most congested.<\/p>\n
\u201cSafety Check\u201d maps are based on where Facebook community uses \u2018Safety Check\u2019 feature to notify their friends and family that they are safe during a disaster.<\/p>\n
Facebook is also supporting the pilot of the ASK-DIV (Disaster Information Volunteers) scheme where a network of trained volunteers provide supplementary information to inform relief efforts through the Facebook \u2018Workplace\u2019 platform.<\/p>\n
This programme with SEEDS will establish a network of volunteers to provide real-time, first-hand information on disasters in their local communities. The programme will be piloted in two disaster-prone states\u2014Assam and Uttarakhand.<\/p>\n
\u201cNDMA is proactively utilising social media for awareness generation. This is an important benchmark towards integrating social media with disaster response activities. I am sure this partnership will open new avenues for using mobile technology in disaster situation,\u201d said RK Jain, Member, NDMA.<\/p>\n
\u201dThe disaster information volunteer network and Facebook\u2019s Disaster Maps will play a key role in helping us get the right help to the right people at the right time,\u201d added Manu Gupta, Director, SEEDS.<\/p>\n
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