TY - JOUR
T1 - Situation report (SITREP) visualization for effective management of disaster incidents in Sri Lanka
AU - Tillekaratne, H. I.
AU - Wickramagamage, P.
AU - Werellagama, Induka
AU - Rathnayake, Upaka
AU - Siriwardana, Chandana
AU - Bandara, Asela
AU - Madduma-Bandara, C. M.
AU - Bandara, T. W.M.T.W.
AU - Abeynayaka, Amila
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by author(s).
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - During and after any disaster, a situation report (SITREP) is prepared, based on the Daily Incident Updates (DIU), as an initial decision support information base. It is observed that the decision support system and best practices are not optimized through the available formal reporting on disaster incidents. The rapidly evolving situation, misunderstood terms, inaccurate data and delivery delays of DIU are challenges to the daily SITREP. Multiple stakeholders stipulated with different tasks should be properly understood for the SITREP to initiate relevant response tasks. To fill this research gap, this paper identifies the weaknesses of the current practice and discusses the upgrading of the incident-reporting process using a freely available software tool, enabling further visualization, and producing a comprehensive timely output to share among the stakeholders. In this case, “Power-BI” (a data visualization software) is used as a 360-degree view of useful metrics—in a single place, with real-time updates while being available on all devices for operational decision-making. When a dataset is transformed into several analytical reports and dashboards, it can be easily shared with the target users and action groups. This article analyzed two sources of data, namely the Disaster Management Center (DMC) and the National Disaster Relief Service Center (NDRSC) of Sri Lanka. Senior managers of disaster emergencies were interviewed and explored social media to develop a scheme of best practices for disaster reporting, starting from just before the occurrence, and following the unfolding sequence of the disasters. Using a variety of remotely acquired imageries, rapid mapping, grading, and delineating impacts of natural disasters, were made available to concerned users.
AB - During and after any disaster, a situation report (SITREP) is prepared, based on the Daily Incident Updates (DIU), as an initial decision support information base. It is observed that the decision support system and best practices are not optimized through the available formal reporting on disaster incidents. The rapidly evolving situation, misunderstood terms, inaccurate data and delivery delays of DIU are challenges to the daily SITREP. Multiple stakeholders stipulated with different tasks should be properly understood for the SITREP to initiate relevant response tasks. To fill this research gap, this paper identifies the weaknesses of the current practice and discusses the upgrading of the incident-reporting process using a freely available software tool, enabling further visualization, and producing a comprehensive timely output to share among the stakeholders. In this case, “Power-BI” (a data visualization software) is used as a 360-degree view of useful metrics—in a single place, with real-time updates while being available on all devices for operational decision-making. When a dataset is transformed into several analytical reports and dashboards, it can be easily shared with the target users and action groups. This article analyzed two sources of data, namely the Disaster Management Center (DMC) and the National Disaster Relief Service Center (NDRSC) of Sri Lanka. Senior managers of disaster emergencies were interviewed and explored social media to develop a scheme of best practices for disaster reporting, starting from just before the occurrence, and following the unfolding sequence of the disasters. Using a variety of remotely acquired imageries, rapid mapping, grading, and delineating impacts of natural disasters, were made available to concerned users.
KW - Daily Incident Updates (DIU)
KW - Power-BI
KW - disasters
KW - situation report (SITREP)
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85179745329&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.24294/jipd.v7i3.2206
DO - 10.24294/jipd.v7i3.2206
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85179745329
SN - 2572-7923
VL - 7
JO - Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development
JF - Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development
IS - 3
M1 - 2206
ER -