thinkWhere, the Stirling technology company, is using the latest web based mapping technology to improve disaster management and response in Cambodia.
Developed on behalf of a partnership between the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and People in Need (PIN), thinkWhere has developed the Disaster Management Information System (DMIS) for the Royal Government of Cambodia.
The thinkWhere system provides an online mapping visualisation tool to help coordinate information for disaster preparedness and response. It will provide a better solution for displaying aerial imagery as well as historical and live disaster information and will ultimately show weather alerts, information on vulnerable populations and infrastructure, as well as real time information from field staff.
Cambodia experienced brutal conflict and civil unrest between 1975 and 1991 leaving up to 3 million people dead and paused economic development. Despite strong economic growth in the decades since, Cambodia remains one of the poorest countries in the region, with approximately 30 per cent of its population living below the national poverty line. The Southeast Asian country has also been ranked as the 9th most disaster prone country in the world, facing recurrent floods, droughts and tropical storms.
“There are a lot of tools, platforms, maps and monitoring devices, which have been developed over the years in Cambodia for weather monitoring and collation of data on disaster response,” commented James Happell, Global Innovations Manager, People in Need – Cambodia. “We worked closely with thinkWhere from design, through to planning and deployment, and we were more than impressed with the communication, flexibility and dedication throughout the project.”
thinkWhere developed a cloud platform that was easy to deploy and administer. Using open source tools and technologies ensures the system can be easily integrated with third party systems and data and has an easy to use interface. It offers a mapping service that can be accessed anywhere, anytime using a simple web browser.
The World Food Programme is the food-assistance branch of the United Nations and the world’s largest humanitarian organisation addressing hunger and promoting food security. WFP has been working in Cambodia since 1979, initially helping the country recover from conflict and then focusing on sustainable development.
People in Need, a Czech based non-profit, non-governmental humanitarian organisation, has been working in Cambodia since 2008 providing development and emergency assistance.