Wide Availability Response Project (WARP) – Caribbean with MapAction/2011
To improve operational disaster-preparedness by establishing a swiftly available repository of basic GIS data to support rapid response humanitarian missions from within or outside of a country in the event of a disaster in the Latin American & Caribbean Region. The purpose is not necessarily to provide online viewing of the data. It is primarily to allow a swift start to the creation of situation maps of the circumstances of a disaster, through the combination of the basic WARP datasets and field reports in a desktop environment, and the swift distribution of those map products in hard copy to field personnel, and as PDFs, JPEGs and KMLs to national and international humanitarian/ emergency/aid/funding agencies.
There are not many volunteer possibilities to assist humanitarian organizations from home so I am very happy to have this opportunity. It has been difficult to find quality spatial data for St. Lucia. Most data available is not free and often is out of date or not accurate enough for disaster response purposes. This however makes it even more rewarding when making contacts and receiving data from those who are willing contribute and share an appreciation for organizations like GISCorps and MapAction. It has been a gratifying experience, one I hope to continue.
