Cloud computing for disaster response management stemming from terrorism in Iraq

Al-Dahash, HF; Al-Shammari, S; Kulatunga, U; Hardman, MD

Abstract

Abstract: Effective response to disasters requires assessing information prior to, during, and after potentially catastrophic events, as well as initiating activities that will lessen their impact upon society. The post-war transitions in Iraq have affected the institutional capacities of the state to respond in an efficient manner. Although the draft National Disaster Risk Reduction Law acknowledges the importance of information and knowledge management, it fails to provide a framework for establishing a dedicated information system. Due to the importance of an effective and efficient disaster management information system, this should be linked to local authorities, local early warning systems, and the media, to ensure effective use of disaster risk information for public awareness. The fact that disaster management data is often complex, large, and from different organisations, this requires a fast, scalable and accessible system to manage the complexity of the collected data. As cloud computing is considered a technology for providing synchronous, on-line information management with accessibility of data regardless of the storage resources’ location, this paper highlights the advantages of using cloud computing in managing information and communication in disaster response management, with particular reference to terrorism in the context of Iraq. The paper contributes to the existing knowledge on disaster response management, a field of study that is still largely under explored in the context of the Middle East, and in the context of terrorism more specifically, by reviewing its literature, through a systematic review methodology. This paper will focus, therefore, on the use of cloud computing as a solution to information sharing and communication, during the immediate response to a terrorist attack, due to the advantages of cloud computing in this context, in terms of data availability, reliability, IT and cost reduction.

Citation

Al-Dahash, H., Al-Shammari, S., Kulatunga, U., & Hardman, M. (2017, September). Cloud computing for disaster response management stemming from terrorism in Iraq. Presented at 13th International Postgraduate Research Conference (IPGRC), University of Salford, UK

• Presentation Conference Type: Other
• Conference Name: 13th International Postgraduate Research Conference (IPGRC)
• Conference Location: University of Salford, UK
• Start Date: Sep 14, 2017
• End Date: Sep 15, 2017
• Publication Date: Sep 14, 2017
• Deposit Date: Oct 2, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 2, 2017
• Publisher URL: http://conference.org.uk/international-research-week/post-graduates/
• Additional Information: Event Type : Conference