Original Research

Investigating the significance of disaster information management

Mukundi Mutasa
Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies | Vol 5, No 2 | a73 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/jamba.v5i2.73 | © 2013 Mukundi Mutasa | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 10 January 2013 | Published: 14 February 2013

About the author(s)

Mukundi Mutasa, Institute of Development Studies, National University of Science and Technology (IDS-NUST) Environment Africa, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Disaster information informs disaster risk management interventions. However, it is the systematic management of this key resource that has not yet been fully embraced. In some cases, information is still haphazardly collected, analysed, managed and disseminated. This paper, utilising mainly secondary literature sources, explores the importance of disaster information and its systematic management in disaster risk management programming. It presents challenges associated with information management in disaster situations and critiques the trend whereby the collection, management and dissemination of information are usually limited to disaster situations. This only serves to further marginalise post-disaster recovery processes, which are integral with regard to generating knowledge essential for the formulation of future disaster mitigation strategies. The paper concludes by arguing for the integration of disaster information management into current disaster risk management curriculum.


Keywords

disaster risk management; disaster risk reduction; information management; knowledge management

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