Abstract
All types of disaster response information are exchanged when a disaster occurs. However, the organizations which carry out disaster response have developed a variety of information systems, and their data structures do not take into account sharing with other organizations. As a result, information sharing is not being done smoothly. In this research, we focused on flood damage as an example of disaster response, and attempted to organize information items by analyzing tasks and information relating to flood damage response. Furthermore, data structures (XML schemata) were designed and proposed with the aim of sharing disaster response information with other organizations using XML. The proposed XML schemata were verified through use in a demonstration experiment conducted in Mitsuke City, Niigata Prefecture -- a region with experience in flood response. In the demonstration experiment, an attempt was made to share information across multiple information systems and networks. The data complied with 13 types of XML schemata, and was shared through the participation of 7 participating organizations, and 11 cooperating organizations, in accordance with a scenario based on the events of the Niigata-Fukushima Torrential Rain Disaster of 2004. Mitsuke City employees were asked, in a questionnaire survey, to evaluate the XML schemata in terms of effectiveness in disaster response work. They determined that information sharing could be done smoothly, and that the system was useful. A questionnaire survey was also administered to supervisors at the participating organizations, who actually handled the XML schemata in their information systems. Although there were some issues in the environment of the demonstration experiment, their assessment was that it was possible to share the necessary information.
