scholarly journals USING AND IMPROVING MAPATHON DATA THROUGH HACKATHONS

Author(s):  
S. Coetzee ◽  
V. Rautenbach ◽  
C. Green ◽  
K. Gama ◽  
N. Fourie ◽  
...  

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Geospatial data is essential for the development of the blue economy: for sustainable coastal management of coastal areas and to unlock economic potential from marine and ocean resources. In developing countries, such as South Africa, there are often gaps in the data with significant implications for the blue economy. We conducted a project aimed at addressing these data gaps by experimenting with a circular process where geospatial data for selected areas on the South African coastline were collected through mapathons and used in applications that were developed during hackathons. We validated this circular approach with two iterations of mapathons and hackathons, and found that 1) the size and location of the map area need to be carefully chosen; 2) those creating the apps needed a huge amount of help in dealing with the geospatial data; and 3) any geospatial data is useful for the blue economy, not only data with a very specific purpose in the blue economy context, such as coastal access points. Overall, the geospatial data usability improved from one iteration to another and would certainly improve if more iterations were added. Similar to the deployment of mapathons for disaster relief, future research could focus on hosting hackathons for the rapid development of apps to assist with disaster relief operations. Generally, the hosting of mapathons and hackathons in lockstep is a novel way of exposing students to interdisciplinary collaboration in international teams with a common goal.</p>

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 109
Author(s):  
Johan Stevens ◽  
Janjaap Semeijn ◽  
Cees Johannes Gelderman

Purpose: This study focusses on the coordination required between military and non-military organisations during humanitarian disasters. Design / Research methods: An in-depth case study was conducted of the disaster relief operation after hurricane Matthew on Haiti in October 2016. We investigated the support of the Dutch military organization and its coordination with the non-military relief organizations. We examined coordination issues at operational, tactical, and strategic levels. Findings: The study shows that no coordination problems occurred at operational level. At the tactical level, cultural differences between military and non-military organizations resulted in coordination problems and deviant perspectives on urgency. At the strategic level, there was a disagreement between the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Dutch Ministry of Defence regarding the Oslo Guidelines. A minority agreed that the guidelines actually apply to military organizations during disaster relief operations. Practical implications: The coordination between the military organization and the non-military relief organization during disaster relief operations can be improved by promoting common and mutual respect and defining a clear tasks and role fulfilments. A first step to improve the coordination is to get familiarity and clarity on the Oslo Guidelines. Another step for improvement is for the military organization to accept that it has no leading but an assistance role during disaster relief operations. Research limitations/implications: A single case study limits the external validity of the results, although useful insights were gained. Future research could address the role of the Oslo Guidelines during disaster relief operations. Are these guidelines still valid, should they be updated, and are the sufficiently known by all relief organizations, including the military? Originality/value of the article: The world is faced with an increasing occurrence of disasters affecting human lives. More lives could be saved when military and non-military organizations would work together more effectively. This is one of the first studies to explore the terms of engagement at the start of relief operations.


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 553-566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Jun Zheng ◽  
Sheng-Yong Chen ◽  
Hai-Feng Ling

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 269-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandra Cozzolino ◽  
Ewa Wankowicz ◽  
Enrico Massaroni

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the contribution of logistics service providers’ (LSPs) initiatives to disaster relief and how LSPs are engaged with humanitarian sector. In recent years, the importance of logistics services in disaster relief operations and the capacity of LSPs to improve humanitarian supply chain management have become an increasingly interesting topic for both professionals and academics. Design/methodology/approach This research follows a qualitative approach based on multiple case studies. Findings The current research, after considering the differences and similarities among collaboration, cooperation and coordination and underlining how crucial these mechanisms are in the humanitarian context, explains the contribution of LSPs to relief operations alongside humanitarians. Research limitations/implications There has been increased interest in humanitarian logistics on the part of international academic and professional communities. This study constitutes a first exploratory step in the research to build a platform for benchmarking analysis of logistics services that aims to ensure the effective implementation of social responsibility principles. Practical implications The managerial implications arising from the research offer a range of current responsible actions from which strategic and operative directions to contribute can be derived. Originality/value Humanitarian logistics represents a crucial field in logistics management. This paper addresses the innovative socially responsible initiatives undertaken by the main international LSPs in the area of humanitarian logistics.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. G. Reina ◽  
M. Askalani ◽  
S. L. Toral ◽  
F. Barrero ◽  
E. Asimakopoulou ◽  
...  

Disastrous events are one of the most challenging applications of multihop ad hoc networks due to possible damages of existing telecommunication infrastructure. The deployed cellular communication infrastructure might be partially or completely destroyed after a natural disaster. Multihop ad hoc communication is an interesting alternative to deal with the lack of communications in disaster scenarios. They have evolved since their origin, leading to different ad hoc paradigms such as MANETs, VANETs, DTNs, or WSNs. This paper presents a survey on multihop ad hoc network paradigms for disaster scenarios. It highlights their applicability to important tasks in disaster relief operations. More specifically, the paper reviews the main work found in the literature, which employed ad hoc networks in disaster scenarios. In addition, it discusses the open challenges and the future research directions for each different ad hoc paradigm.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhishek Behl ◽  
Meena Chavan ◽  
Kokil Jain ◽  
Isha Sharma ◽  
Vijay Edward Pereira ◽  
...  

PurposeThe study explores the readiness of government agencies to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the efficiency of disaster relief operations (DRO). For understanding the behavior of state-level and national-level government agencies involved in DRO, this study grounds its theoretical arguments on the civic voluntarism model (CVM) and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT).Design/methodology/approachWe collected the primary data for this study from government agencies involved in DRO in India. To test the proposed theoretical model, we administered an online survey questionnaire to 184 government agency employees. To test the hypotheses, we employed partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsOur findings confirm that resources (time, money and skills) significantly influence the behavioral intentions related to the adoption of AI tools for DRO. Additionally, we identified that the behavioral intentions positively translate into the actual adoption of AI tools.Research limitations/implicationsOur study provides a unique viewpoint suited to understand the context of the adoption of AI in a governmental context. Companies often strive to invest in state-of-the-art technologies, but it is important to understand how government bodies involved in DRO strategize to adopt AI to improve efficiency.Originality/valueOur study offers a fresh perspective in understanding how the organizational culture and perspectives of government officials influence their inclinations to adopt AI for DRO. Additionally, it offers a multidimensional perspective by integrating the theoretical frameworks of CVM and UTAUT for a greater understanding of the adoption and deployment of AI tools with organizational culture and voluntariness as critical moderators.


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