Big tent: The role of technology in disaster preparedness and relief

In times of crisis, more and more people in Asia-Pacific and around the world are turning to the web and new technologies to:

- connect with loved ones
- locate food and shelter
- find evacuation routes
- access medical care, and
- help those affected, near and far

Technology is playing an increasingly important role in how we cope with disasters - from students in New Zealand using social networks to form a volunteer armyafter the Christchurch earthquake, to families in Japan turning to photo sharing services to find loved ones feared lost in last year's tsunami. We’re only beginning to understand its potential.

To explore this potential, and to understand the ways technology can be used to reduce the impact and cost of disasters, we’re hosting a ‘Big Tent’ in Sendai, Japan, on 2 July. At this day-long forum, we look forward to discussing the role of technology with some of the leading regional and global voices on managing crises, including Margareta Wahlström, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction at the UN; Gwi-Yeop Son, Director of Corporate Programs at UNOCHA; Will Rogers, Beneficiary Communications Project Manager at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and many more.