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2 POTENTIALITY OF VICTIMS
MASTER DATABASE
2.1 Basic Framework
When implementing support for reconstructing the
lives of disaster victims, it is necessary to make a
fundamental decision as to how to allocate the
limited amount of human and material resources
available for disaster relief. The options can be
divided into: 1) allocating support to each disaster
victim in equal measure, 2) allocating support
depending on attributes of victims (e.g. a higher
level of support for the elderly and the poor), and 3)
allocating support depending on the extent of
damage suffered by victim. In order to make a
decision as to which option, or combination of
options, to use, it is necessary to establish an
environment in which information regarding 1)
identity, 2) attributes and 3) extent of damage
suffered (e.g. “destruction”, “severe damage”,
“partial damage”, or “no damage” to residence) for
each victim can be organized and simulations of
allocation of resources can be conducted. Such an
environment will also enable efficient allocation of
resources after such decision has been made.
2.2 Establishment of Victims Master
Database using GIS
In order to establish a basic framework for life
reconstruction support, it is necessary to work
towards creation of a victim register. In this
research, this victim register is named “Victims
Master Database (VMDB)”. In addition to existing
registers, such as the Basic Residents Register and
taxation registers, that contain various necessary
information of citizens for day-to-day civil
administration, it is necessary to establish VMDB
for life reconstruction support.
VMDB is a database that spatially allocates
various information that do not necessarily have
primary keys in common, such as: 1) information
that shows all disaster victims, including those not
originally included in the residents registers for day-
to-day administration but surface in the aftermath, 2)
existing attribute information already held for day-
to-day administration, and 3) extent of damage
caused by the disaster, and integrates information
from spatial proximities between the pieces of
information.
2.3 Use of Victims Master Database
Once VMDB is created and life reconstruction
support efforts are underway in accordance with the
decision made with regards to resource allocation,
disaster victims who have an underlying capability
for independent living will eventually be able to
reconstruct their lives with the help of life
reconstruction support. However, there are also
those for whom support on a macro scale is
insufficient to enable them to reconstruct their lives;
it is therefore necessary to have a system in which
individual circumstances not listed in the basic
information on VMDB are taken into account in
order to concentrate levels of support for such
individuals. In addition, information that has been
consolidated based on such a system is represented
and visualized spatially, thereby allowing planning
of support measures and spatial identification of
victims requiring priority for support, thus
supporting implementation of swift support
measures as shown in Figure 2.
In this research, creation of VMDB is carried out
in partnership with Kashiwazaki City which was
affected by the Niigataken Chuetsu-oki Earthquake.
The situation regarding victim livelihood
reconstruction support in Kashiwazaki is
established, and a realistically achievable VMDB is
created through real-life assessment, leading to a
development of a system capable of effective
information collection and integration, and creation
of a system capable of visualizing such information
spatially.
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Figure 2: Model for Providing Micro Support.
HEALTHINF 2010 - International Conference on Health Informatics
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