Google Crisis Response: Extreme helpful during disasters

by Habib Torikul
December 15, 2011

http://www.weeklyblitz.net/1989/google-crisis-response-extreme-helpful-during

Yesterday I got an email from a friend, who lives in Japan. He mailed me subjecting to - do you know? Being curious I started reading the mail; it was about a tale of a survivor of Japan Earthquake and Tsunami during March 2011, when the earthquake took place, he was in his office in Tokyo. The office is on the 6^th floor of the 20 storied building. After the earthquake, he decided to go home. He was deeply concerned about his aged parents and two children. It was not possible to call them on phone as phone lines were disconnected. His mother's relatives lived in Ofunato City, where the terrible tsunami took place. He tried to call them because he couldn't think of any other ways to reach them, but failed. The next day, when he went online to check Gmail, saw the line "Google Person Finder" the instructions were easy to follow. He put his uncle's name and then he found out two of other relatives were looking for him. That means at least two of his relatives survived. Then, he put four more relatives' names and saw other people were also looking for them. He got hope! He was delighted that at least two of his relatives survived. After two days, he found that five of his relatives survived and one of them was still missing - all through Google Person Finder.

During disaster and post disasters, Google launch an interactive database that allows users to search the missing people online or provides information on people who are injured. The whole process maintained by Google.org that "seeks to make critical information more accessible around natural disasters and humanitarian crises". In Past Google Crisis Response contributed to Haiti earthquake in 2010, Pakistan floods in 2010, Queensland floods, Christchurch earthquake in 2011, and Tohoku earthquake in 2011 by using Google resources and tools such as Google Maps, Google Earth, Google Person Finder, and Google Fusion Tables. It also provides opportunities for donation in collaboration with agencies like UNICEF, Save the Children, International Medical Corps, and local relief-providing bodies. Google has been providing engineering tools that enhance communication and collaboration among crisis responders and victims. Such tools include or are powered by Person Finder, Google Maps, Google Earth, Google Fusion Tables, Google Docs, and Google Sites.

Around the world, Google responds to natural disasters – launches such important services automatically during the aftermath of a disaster. In Bangladesh being a most disaster-prone country, how much we know about it? How far we are familiar with such extremely important and helpful services?

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