FORMIDABLE: An advanced tool for the Information Management of Natural Disasters

Abstract

In the Emergency Management of natural disasters, the effectiveness of interventions and relief actions is affected by the difficult circulation of reliable information among involved organisations and citizens, whenever a disaster occurs. Within this context, the FORMIDABLE advanced tool has been conceived as a joint European enterprise, focused on disasters affecting the Mediterranean area, aimed at standardising operational procedures and information systems. The FORMIDABLE tool is the repository of the information required for natural disasters management, by using suitable technology to maintain and exchange relevant data. In fact the authorised organisations will receive near-real time standardised operational tasks and scenario description, while at the same time useful and friendly information will be provided to involved people. High level of friendliness and flexibility will be achieved by means of the coherent integration of different technologies (INTERNET, GIS, Earth Observation data).