Learning Labs: Scaling up Success: How to use disruptive technology for rapid, accurate and low-cost post-disaster damage assessments

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Bring your own experiences of previous or potential future post-disaster assessments that you have worked on, and think about how the GRADE process may have aided or may help certain aspects of the assessment. 

Where do we stand 

Post-disaster damage assessments are critical tools that enable governments to better strategize and mobilize resources for a resilient recovery. They are executed around the world, in many forms, and by various stakeholders, including governments, private companies (mainly in the insurance/reinsurance industry), and international aid agencies. However, some assessments contain significant gaps in terms of detail and timeliness. For other traditional approaches, assessments are often limited in geographic coverage and scope and/or are less accurate, particularly in data-scarce environments of the developing world. Previously, the more detailed and accurate reports often require weeks or months to complete. Increasingly though, governments, donors, and other stakeholders need faster answers from damage assessments in order to prioritize response and mobilize resources. 

The award-winning innovative Global Rapid post-disaster Damage Estimation (GRADE) is a remote, desk-based approach that addresses many of the critical questions arising post-disasters within just two weeks, and on average with over 90% accuracy compared to ground-based surveys. GRADE provides an estimate of physical damages to housing, non-residential buildings and infrastructure primarily, followed by other sectors such as agriculture, as requested/required. The methodology utilizes disaster risk modeling techniques (typically used by the global re/insurance industry); historical damage data; engineering, census and socioeconomic survey data; as well as satellite imagery, drone footage, and other social media data to quantify damage estimates to a high level of detail. GRADE is able to provide a timely, independent, scientific, credible sectoral quantification of the spatial extent and severity of a disaster’s physical impact. The GRADE approach has been successfully deployed in over 25 recent disasters. Essentially, using disruptive technology it provides answers at one-tenth of cost and time to 90% accuracy to traditional methods. 

Session guiding questions

1. What is the GRADE methodology and what approaches does it adopt? 
2. What are the types of cases and perils in which the methodology can be applied? 
3. What opportunities exist for the application of the methodology in the period 2022-2025? 
4. How ready are certain countries and provinces ready for application of the GRADE process? 
5. What is the current state-of-art on open data portals in the disaster locations for hazard, exposure and vulnerability data and historic loss data for disasters?