Crisis mapping for disaster response: from the Haiti earthquake to Sandy

A presentation by Annie Feighery, EdM, MPACandidate, EdD

Teachers College, Columbia University

@AnnieFeigheryannie@mWater.Co

Diffusion of innovations curve within the UN regarding crisis mapping

The value of crisis mapping as a rapid assessment tool

The validity of crisis mapping depends on positive reinforcement mechanisms within the system

Sandy

• January 12, 2010: 7.0 magnitude earthquake west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti

• 3 million people affected: 316,000 deaths, another million left homeless

• Severe infrastructure damage: hospitals, airport, government and UN buildings

•Watershed moment for crowdsourced disaster response

Background

Source: noula.ht

Source: Mission4636

click

Methods of analysis

• Qualitative interviews: key informants representing both Ushahidi and multilateral agencies

• Google analytics: geocoding IPs

• Wordle: visual representation of key words and mood

• Social network analysis: bonding vs bridging vs linking

• Text mining: parsed database of reports

Top hits by country over time (January-April)

Source: Google Analytics (Haiti.Ushahidi.org)

n=3600 messages, source: Ushahidi database

Geotime graph of all coded SMS messages over time

Geotime graph of messages coded collapsed infrastructure (blue) and food and shelter needs (green) over time

Cluster response PDNA

SMS mapped messages

n=3600 messages, source: Ushahidi database~40,000 SMS messages originally received

Ties type Help-seeking behavior

Degree of similarity

Bonding Strong tiesInformal forms of support

Homophilous

Bridging Weak tiesFormal forms of support

Heterophilous

Granovetter, M. (1983). The strength of weak ties: A network theory revisited. Sociological Theory, 1(1), 201-233.Lin, N. (2002). Social capital: A theory of social structure and action. Cambridge Univ Pr.

b.#Earthquake#vic0m#inside#Hai0#

a.#Earthquake#vic0ms#

b.#Relief#organiza0ons#

c.#Public#outside#of#Hai0##

n=906#

n=24#

n=875#

n=7#

c.#Relief#Responder#from#tradi2onal#NGO#

a.#Earthquake#vic2ms#

b.#Relief#organiza2ons#

c.#Public#outside#of#Hai2##

n=368#

n=39#

n=310#

n=17#

Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations. Free Press.

Diffusion Curve, adapted from Rogers (2002)

Crisis mapping Sandy

• Sense making/situational awareness

• Social network-based information

• Hashtag crisis

• Handheld-friendly tools

• Liability protection

• Tweet studies

• Dave from Hoboken

NYC.gov

• Rachel Sterne Haot, CDO

• Twitter donated promoted tweets:

‣ 2k over 2 weeks

• Total social digital reach as of 11/9: 2,785,806

• Corrected bad reports, guided remarks

• Transportation needs dominated convo

ANY QUESTIONS?

Annie Feigherytwitter: @AnnieFeighery

www.participatoryepi.posterous.comwww.mWater.Co

extra slides

SNA Codes• 3.Topic  of  message

a.  Looking  for  missing  person

b.  Report  of  individual  needed  medical  

assistance

c.  Need  for  supplies

d.  Report  of  infrastructure,  i.e.,  road  damage

e.  Report  of  available  supplies

f.   General  thoughts  or  prayers  offered

4.  Intended  recipient  of  message

a.  Earthquake  victims  

b.  Relief  organizations

c.  Public  outside  of  Haiti

1.  Location  of  sender

a.  Within  Haiti

b.  Outside  of  Haiti

2.  Type  of  sender

a.  General  public  outside  of  Haiti

b.  Earthquake  victim  inside  Haiti

c.  Relief  Responder  from  traditional  NGO

d.  Crowdsourced  relief  responder

Interview Results• There was an inability to use the information

gathered to directly interact with the Haitians who provided it.

• UN and other official entities were reticent to use the information gathered because: a) they distrusted the validity of the sources, and b) they were too overtasked with their traditional evaluation protocol to subsume additional monitoring of social media.

• The discord that marked the initial stages of relief in

Bonding Bridging

borrow a cup of milk go buy milk at the bodega

ask a neighbor to watch your child

ask a neighbor for the phone number of their

babysitter

ask to borrow money apply for Welfare assistance