Post-Impact Assessment Geo-Spatial Damage Assessment Tool (GeoDAT)

   

Responses to natural disasters need to be both rapid and carefully coordinated. Saving lives, livelihoods and providing shelter for those displaced are two key priorities for first responders. This can be achieved through a carefully coordinated and planned damages assessment process that has the required tools and techniques to facilitate consistent and methodical assessment processes. Geo-information from space-based data, along with web mapping, remote sensing and information systems technologies, have proven to be powerful tools that combine vector data and map information (baseline data) for improved and efficient analysis and decision-making.
It is against this background that the Building Disaster Resilient Rural Communities and Livelihoods Project (BDRRCL), implemented in 2013/14 included a component for the development of a mobile application, GeoDAT to collect damage data enabling multiple sectors to be able to make critical response decisions. Funding for the development of the app was provided by international NGO ACDI/VOCA through funding from USAID.

   
     

GeoDAT Launch

   

GeoDAT was launched during Disaster Preparedness month launch on June 2, 2015. It is a mobile app designed for use on high performing android cellular telephones. Its purpose it to enable real time transmission of damage data collected by NERGIST certified professionals and Community assessors to the National Emergency Operations Centre.