Disaster losses and damages data are an essential basis for understanding the risks and impacts of disasters. Losses and damages data enable preparedness for effective response, resilient recovery and reconstruction, and overall disaster risk reduction efforts. Data on disaster events support understanding root causes and shifts in exposure and vulnerability and assessing the risk of cascading events and impacts across multiple hazards.
Despite its relevance, not all countries collect and use disaster data systematically and there are major disparities between them as to methods, coverage and system governance, creating barriers to effective risk management. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and World Meteorological Organization (WMO) are jointly addressing this gap and developing an enhanced disaster tracking system for hazardous events and related losses and damages aimed at national users interested in upgrading and institutionalizing national disaster tracking systems. The disaster tracking system comprises a methodological approach and set of guidance, data standards and a toolkit of open-source software solutions, as well as recommended data governance mechanisms. It aims not only to enable better data collection and management but also improved analysis, visualization and application to a whole range of policy, planning, budgeting and programming processes.
This report explores current data applications and ways that stronger data collection and management could support better decision-making and informed action. Key recommendations are put forward in the following areas:
- Data governance;
- Data value chain; and
- Data application.