Une approche collaborative de la gestion des données sur les pertes dues aux catastrophes au Mozambique

En souvenir de Mme Katarina Mouakkid Soltesova, responsable de la gestion des programmes, Bureau régional pour l'Afrique.

As climate change picks up speed globally, natural hazards increasingly threaten to impact local communities. To minimize this risk in the long run, tracking such disaster losses is of critical importance. To this end, funded by the European Union and led by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), 510, the data and digital initiative of the Netherlands Red Cross, cofacilitated a workshop to train government and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) authorities in Mozambique in the collection and application of disaster loss data.

Qu'est-ce que les données sur les pertes en cas de catastrophe et pourquoi en avons-nous besoin ?

When a natural hazard occurs, unmanaged risks can have severe, far-reaching consequences. Hereby, the term “loss and damage” refers to a disaster’s negative consequences, such as the destruction of infrastructure, habitats or stocks of goods, or the loss of livelihood opportunities. In the context of climate change, a distinction is made between an event’s tangible impact which can be expressed in monetary terms, such as the costs of infrastructure destroyed, and its intangible impact which cannot be expressed in this way, such as casualties or the impact of the disaster on (mental) health.

Information can be collected to measure a disaster’s impact, such as the number of people affected, the number of buildings destroyed, or economic losses. This is referred to as disaster loss data. To expand the availability and usage of disaster loss data, UNDRR is promoting a global initiative to build national disaster loss databases based on open-source software, named Désinventerqui s'harmonise avec la Cadre de Sendai pour la réduction des risques de catastrophes. L'un des principaux objectifs des bases de données sur les pertes dues aux catastrophes est d'identifier les tendances en matière de catastrophes, telles que des aléas plus fréquents ou plus graves dans certaines zones, ou une augmentation de la population à risque. Sur la base de ces paramètres, il est possible de mesurer l'effet des interventions de RRC sur la réduction des pertes et des dommages, et de prendre des initiatives pour protéger la population en prévision de futures catastrophes.

This methodology also helps to measure the path towards a society’s resilience. A society resistant to natural hazards can absorb their impact, adapt to their changing frequency and severity due to climate change, and autonomously manage risks associated with potential future disasters. However, when information on loss and damage over time is not available, obstacles to understanding the progress towards societal resilience remain. Although data is being collected by an increasing number of stakeholders, this often remains inadequate to understand trends due to a lack of commonly agreed definitions, systematic data collection, legislation and funding to set up and maintain databases, and data sharing among stakeholders.

Mozambique : Faire de la collecte de données sur les pertes dues aux catastrophes un travail d'équipe

Les autorités gouvernementales mozambicaines et la Croix-Rouge mozambicaine ont également été confrontées à ces problèmes. Bien qu'ils aient tous collecté des données sur les pertes dues aux catastrophes, ils cherchaient des moyens plus standardisés pour les conserver et les partager entre eux. L'atelier de juin 2023, co-organisé par l'UNDRR et l'Institut national de gestion des catastrophes du Mozambique (INGD) et soutenu par le 510, a réuni des représentants de diverses entités concernées et visait à encourager la création de synergies, le partage systématique des données entre les secteurs et l'identification des goulets d'étranglement dans la collaboration entre les parties prenantes. L'atelier a couvert des sujets importants allant des concepts autour des écosystèmes de données aux outils permettant d'utiliser les données sur les pertes dues aux catastrophes pour une action anticipée.

The Mozambique Red Cross Society demonstrated its Early Action Protocol (EAP) for tropical cyclones as part of the workshop. Once the national meteorological office specifies the magnitude of the impending cyclone and the threshold of the EAP is reached, the release of materials, such as shelter tools, is triggered. The Mozambique Red Cross Society’s leadership then initiates further actions, followed by information being shared with the IFRC, provinces, volunteers and local banks for fund release. Early actions such as strengthening houses and water purification are undertaken, and communities are trained in preparedness and response activities, such as covering roofs in the event of extreme rainfall. The Mozambique Red Cross Society further coordinates with the government on cash deliveries to affected communities.

In 2020, 510 supported the Mozambique Red Cross Society with activating an EAP amid Tropical Cyclone Chalane. The EAP’s initial trigger threshold was solely based on windspeed, which presented challenges during this particular event as the forecasted windspeed fell just below this trigger threshold. To address this issue, 510 and IFRC co-developed a methodology through which impact can be calculated using the following formula: Impact = Hazard × Vulnerability. This impact estimation does not just rely on the severity level of the hazard itself, but also considers communities’ vulnerabilities to extreme weather events, allowing for more flexible conditions to activate the EAP.

During the workshop, the “Data Guardian Game” enabled participants to grasp the role of data in decision-making for anticipatory action. After introducing a hypothetical flood scenario, participants were asked to decide whether to activate an EAP, based on information from different agencies. The participants opted for different reactions such as allocating funds to national agencies, or fortifying houses based on a vulnerability map. This diverse outcome highlighted the importance of consulting various data sources and considering resource limitations when implementing anticipatory action.

While data sharing between the government and the Mozambique Red Cross Society can still be improved, the workshop helped participants identify pathways to better align in the future. It has been a bright example of how bringing multiple stakeholders together has the potential to increase the data available on disasters and disaster loss to a broader range of entities, which can lead to a country’s enhanced preparedness for, and resilience to, potential future disasters.

Informations complémentaires : 

Notamment, une autre composante du projet dirigé par l'UNDRR a été un exercice de simulation organisé en mai 2023, que 510 a soutenu en testant des protocoles d'action anticipée. L'exercice a permis aux autorités de simuler des évaluations de dommages en réponse au cyclone Ana qui a frappé le Malawi en janvier 2022. La disponibilité d'images satellite à haute résolution en cas de catastrophe majeure permet au 510 d'utiliser son système d'information sur les catastrophes naturelles. Portail d'évaluation automatisée des dommages (ADA) which collects and presents information on disasters where ADA was deployed. The goal of the dashboard is to demonstrate how an immediate assessment of satellite imagery of floods can be used to obtain a broad overview and determine the most affected areas. Combined with data on the areas’ pre-disaster vulnerabilities, responding teams are instructed on exact locations to be mapped in more detail with drone footage.

Un rapport a récemment été publié dans le cadre de ce projet. Il contient une analyse des écosystèmes de données d'impact existants au Malawi, au Mozambique et en Zambie, et fournit des recommandations pour améliorer les données d'impact. Vous pouvez trouver ce rapport à l'adresse suivante le rapport sur le site UNDRR.org.