Lebanon Crisis Information Management Support

Country: Lebanon Flag: Status: Past

Dates: Start: July 2006 End: December 2006

Donor: Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement Donor: UNDP Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery Donor: Depatrment of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada Donor: UNJLC

iMMAP immediately deployed information management and mapping specialists to Lebanon in response to the conflict in the south of that country during summer 2006. These technical experts assisted United Nations and non-governmental organizations struggling to distribute food and medical supplies throughout the country by creating highly advanced maps of surveyed road conditions. iMMAP experts supported the United Nations Joint Logistics Centre (UNJLC) as they monitored road and infrastructure conditions and the impact of contamination by landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO), to ensure safe transport of food and health supplies to the large numbers of Lebanese displaced during the conflict. Operating in Lebanon throughout the conflict phase until the end of 2006, iMMAP personnel improved aid distribution by coordinating safe passage routes and identifying and assessing the overall impact of Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) and aerial strike damage. A leader in establishing standardized data collection procedures, iMMAP monitored road conditions and designed road, port and airport condition and logistical maps.

Technical Support to UNJLC

Country: Pakistan Flag: Status: Past

Dates: Start: October 2005 End: March 2006

Donor: UNJLC

When a 7.6 magnitude earthquake devastated northeastern Pakistan on 8 October 2005, causing more than 70,000 deaths and leaving tens of thousands more homeless, iMMAP and the United Nations Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC) were quick to respond. UNJLC established an emergency office in Islamabad to ensure uninterrupted, timely and cost effective relief and recovery response. iMMAP seconded an Information Management Officer to UNJLC to compile cartographic information products that reflected the evolving logistical landscape in the areas hit by the disaster. iMMAP also assisted in the development, application and adaptation of existing geographic information system (GIS) based transportation and logistics optimization models to the specific conditions in Pakistan. This emergency posed huge transportation and logistical challenges to relief groups because of the remote and rugged nature of the mountainous terrain in the affected areas, making it very difficult to reach the people most in need.

During the crisis in Pakistan, iMMAP:

• Conducted field reconnaissance in the Muzaffarabad area.
• Created a comprehensive helicopter landing zone database and map series.
• Compiled the best available roads, settlements, population, climate, and boundary datasets for general map production.
• Created a multilingual place-name converter.
• Compiled the best available climate dataset for use in map production for the Operation Winter Race Area map series.
• Acquired high quality, accurate Pakistan survey maps of affected areas.

VAM Spatial Data Analysis and Institutional Strengthening

Country: Southeast Asia Region Flag: Multiple Status: Ongoing

Dates: Start: Insert Start Date, Month Year End: Insert End Date, Month Year

Donor: World Food Programme

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Vulnerability Assessment Mapping (VAM) unit for the Southeast Asian region requested iMMAP assistance in order to implement analysis of food security at the country level at a standard level of quality throughout the region.

iMMAP is assisting WFP to introduce standards to the following components of the VAM analytical process:

• The format in which data is stored;
• The manner in which data quality is evaluated and recorded (metadata);
• The analytical methods used to select samples and to evaluate results;
• The layout of commonly needed VAM maps, tables, and graphs.

The following outputs will be delivered during the three year duration of the project:

• Enhanced analysis of food security and related issues at the country level at a standard level of quality;
• Improved analytical methods and standardization implemented;
• Common and coherent information management procedures and tools.