Award-winning Rapid Damage Mapping tool supports sustainable post-disaster response Tonkin + Taylor
T
he response in the first 24 to 72
fundamental in aiding an efficient
hours after a disaster is critical in
and effective disaster response and
within two days of Cyclone Winston
reducing the impact it will have
recovery.
in Fiji and our humanitarian partners
on people’s lives and livelihoods, and
The tool has since been tailored
“Our tool was up and running
used it to prioritise their emergency
ensuring an efficient, well-coordi-
to support a range of other
responses to those most in need. It
nated emergency response. It’s also
disaster responses, including for
was so good being able to help our
the time when you usually have the
the Hurunui-Kaikōura earthquake,
close neighbours in some way, and
least access to information to make
Whakatane’s Edgecumbe flood, Cy-
because it was so useful in Fiji, we
the most important decisions. This is
clone Gita in Tonga, tropical cyclones
have provided the tool following
where damage mapping tools can
Idai and Kenneth in Mozambique, the
many other disaster responses.”
help.
Sulawesi earthquake, the tsunami
Rapid disaster mapping is now
in Indonesia and Tropical Cyclone
recognised as the gold standard for
Winston in Fiji.
the collation, analysis and dissem-
Tonkin + Taylor’s Rapid Damage Mapping (RDM) tool was originally developed as part of the response to
Tonkin + Taylor senior geotechnical
ination of data following natural
the Canterbury earthquake sequence
engineer John Leeves says the rapid
disasters. As a result of continually
between 2010-2011. Designed to
disaster mapping tool has really paid
adapting and using the RDM tool,
rapidly gather integrated damage
off when it comes to being prepared
Tonkin + Taylor, along with ChinaGEO
mapping information, the tool was
for emergency response efforts.
CDDR, RADI, the CODATA Task Group on
“Our tool was up and running within two days of Cyclone Winston in Fiji and our humanitarian partners used it to prioritise their emergency responses to those most in need.” 18 SURVEYING+SPATIAL
•
Issue 105 June 2021
