The Pacific Disaster Center's mission is to provide applied information research and analysis support for the development of more effective policies, institutions, programs and information products for the disaster management and humanitarian assistance communities of the Asia Pacific region and beyond.
With our Managing Partner, the University of Hawaii, and in cooperation with regional and national disaster management agencies, the PDC strives to support and facilitate the innovative use of information, technology, and applied research to:
- Promote proactive, rather than reactive, planning that includes hazard mitigation as a key element of sustainable development.
- Increase efficiency of operational organizations by introducing innovative, and appropriately scaled, information resources, tools, and analyses.
Central to achieving these objectives is providing unique and valuable geospatial and disaster-related information through a web-based data system for international, regional, national and local information access and dissemination. Through the use of the PDC web-based information system, disaster managers can develop both situational awareness and appropriate responses before, during, and after disaster events. These responses range from the assessment of hazards and risk to managing risk through mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery and reconstruction.
Associated with, and complementing our web-based activities, is PDC's unique capacity to explore, test, and scale new support tools and applications for emergency response, mitigation, and situational awareness purposes such as an interactive hazard atlas, a web-based information-sharing clearinghouse, disaster risk management knowledge bases, an automated tsunami alert system, and risk modeling.
The PDC's website is designed to enhance emergency managers' understanding of current hazard and disaster activity in the region as well as provide you with information about the PDC—our services, capabilities, and products. Throughout our website, you will learn how PDC products and services have helped emergency managers by offering them technology solutions, providing decision and policy support, and analyzing risk and vulnerability in the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Fiji, Vanuatu, Guam, American Samoa, Hawaii, Alaska, Afghanistan, and the Caribbean.
There is also a human touch behind our advanced web technology—you may contact us at any time for further information about our services, capabilities and products at info@pdc.org. We are very interested in your comments, feedback, and suggestions.
Ray Shirkhodai
Executive Director