New Technologies, Innovative Data Sources: Managing Disasters in Developing Countries – PARIS21 Side Event at COP21

(Paris, France) This PARIS21 event on data for disaster risk management aims at addressing the role of new technologies and the use of innovative sources of data in the management of natural disasters and catastrophic events. To better manage disasters and their impact, governments and the aid community can increasingly rely on new technologies and new sources of data such, including mobile phones, drones, biometric scanners or wearable devices. Yet the increasing abundancy of information also creates challenges. Especially national authorities need to strengthen existing human, technical and institutional capacities to make use of these new data flows and integrate them into existing systems – a process for which especially developing countries potentially lack financial resources. More information: http://www.paris21.org/node/2409