FbF organizes network of Information Management and GIS Specialists in Latin America

• Six National Societies attended the Regional Event in Lima, Peru
• The network will allow the exchange of knowledge and experiences in the region

Representatives from the Peruvian Red Cross, Ecuadorian Red Cross, Guatemalan Red Cross, Honduran Red Cross, Nicaraguan Red Cross and Costa Rican Red Cross all participated in the first regional event for information management and geographic information systems (GIS) specialists of the Forecast-based Financing (FbF) Regional Program in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

The event, held from 6-11 September 2021 in Lima, Peru, aimed to promote the exchange of concepts and tools among the technical staff of the National Societies participating in FbF, and to design and operate GIS oriented to monitoring and risk assessment in the face of climatic and non-climatic hazards. The use of GIS as a tool for anticipatory action is fundamental for decision-making to reach the most vulnerable people. 

Among the topics addressed during the event were, among others:  

• discussion on risk concepts and models 
• design of activation mechanisms 
• analysis and experience of the Sangay volcano activation in Ecuador 
• identification of National Societies’ needs 
• formats and tools for map generation. 

Due to the opportunity to have the specialists gathered at the event, the piloting of the course that elaborates maps using GIS tools was finalised; this had initially been carried out virtually over the previous two months. This course will be available to the public soon. 

The network of information management and GIS specialists was organized as part of this initiative of the exchanges’ strategy.