FAIR Data and Emergencies

The purpose of the project is to build on two previous CODATA activities, the EC-funded WorldFAIR project and the UNESCO-CODATA Toolkit on Data Policy for Times of Crisis (DPTC). The intention is for the project to act as a demonstrator of the benefits of the approach and recommendations developed in these two pieces of work.

There are, therefore, two dimensions to this project: technical and policy-oriented. On the one hand the project is implementing, demonstrating (and refining) the standards-based recommendations from the WorldFAIR project that are presented in CDIF, the Cross-Domain Interoperability Framework and its components, notably the Data Documentation Initiative’s Cross-Domain Integration standard. On the other hand, the project is implementing and reporting on the uptake of the UNESCO-CODATA DPTC Toolkit.

This work is being conducted with two use cases: one based around the Malawi flood and cholera; the other around the Türkiye earthquake. By design, the Malawi use case is prioritising the implementation and showcasing of technical recommendations from CDIF and WorldFAIR, while the Türkiye use case is prioritising the implementation of the UNESCO-CODATA DPTC Toolkit, though the technical recommendations are also being explored.

Malawi Use Case

The devastating floods of 2022–23 in Malawi, caused by Tropical Cyclone Freddy, exacerbated an already widespread cholera outbreak that had begun earlier.. Responding to this sort of cascading hazard requires a holistic and data-driven approach and provides an important use case for the data interoperability and data integration techniques that CODATA has been advocating.

The use case approach has been co-designed with the Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM), Ministry of Health, with UNICEF Malawi as a collaborator. This was initially done through a Concept Note and a Survey of Data Sources. The work is now embodied in a Collaborative Agreement between PHIM and CODATA. The development, articulation and communication of the objectives of this agreement has been a significant focus of project activity. Numerous meetings have been held with colleagues at PHIM to articulate the project, as well as with other stakeholders and partners to survey possible data sources.

By applying the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and (Re)Usable) data principles, structured metadata in accordance with the Cross-Domain Interoperability Framework (CDIF) profiles, and small area estimation techniques, this initiative will contribute towards providing policymakers and public health authorities with high-resolution, evidence-driven insights to optimize cholera/ other infectious diseases outbreaks preparedness and response strategies. Improved data availability will promote data driven decision making in preparing for future outbreaks and to optimally respond when they occur. Making data interoperable is essential for the desired multi-sectoral coordination in cholera preparedness and response. This work is done in the context of, and contributing to, the Malawi Health Sector Strategic Plan III, PHIM Strategic Plan, the National Health Research Agenda and the disease specific plans with Malawi’s Multi-Sectoral Cholera Control Plan (MMCCP) (2025-2030) being the most appropriate in this case while taking a holistic approach in strengthening PHIM research capacity.

With the agreement in place and funds transferred, PHIM is now appointing two data specialists. The next steps are now underway: informed by Guidance Documents prepared by CODATA experts, these actions are now described in a detailed Project Roadmap.

The actions include:

1. Installation of the World Bank’s Metadata Editor and National Data Archive (NADA) software for data documentation and cataloguing at PHIM.
2. Training will be conducted onsite by our UNICEF Malawi colleague and virtually, as necessary, by CODATA experts.
3. Datasets, previously identified by the team, from various sources and at different levels including individual level data from studies and administrative data and indicators from national surveys and census will be documented.
4. The DDI Codebook metadata will then be enriched and converted to DDI-Cross-Domain Integration and SDMX compliant metadata using tools developed in the WorldFAIR project and in collaborations with the DDI Alliance.
5. Documented datasets will then be used as inputs into Small Area Estimation models to develop high resolution estimates of key indicators.
6. Generated key indicators at high resolution will be presented including in the project report and policy briefs to support decision and policy making around preparedness and response
7. Knowledge management products will be developed to facilitate knowledge transfer of the methods, including code for performing SAE.

The project is now also preparing for a Demonstration and Validation Workshop, involving the project team, colleagues at PHIM and key partners, to demonstrate how the metadata enhancement and data integration has provided value and extra insights of use to researchers, public health planners and policy makers.

What can we do to enable data to speak to each other, emphasises the cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary dimension of this work. Benefits of bringing data from different disciplines and sources together.

The Concept Note, Survey of Data Sources, Guidance Document and Project Roadmap are all working documents that are still evolving and will be published with the report at the completion of the project.

The project team in Malawi comprises:

Chifundo Kanjala, Monitoring Specialist, UNICEF and Alex Thawani, Biostatistician, PHIM,

At PHIM, the project is being taken forward in the Research Division headed by Dr. Dzinkambani Kambalame.

CODATA Experts contributing to the project and the Guidance Document include: Arofan Gregory, CODATA Standards Expert; Pascal Heus, CODATA Community Member and Metadata Expert; Jay Greenfield, CODATA Technical Consultant.

Türkiye Use Case

The 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes in Türkiye (two earthquakes occurred on the same day, 9 hours apart, both with epicentres at two different subdistricts of Kahramanmaraş, Pazarcık and Elbistan) had enormous impact and further highlighted the need for data driven preparedness. The event also highlighted the multi-hazard characteristics of disaster risk reduction and the dispersed nature of relevant data: data sits at different locations, sources, with individuals, with institutions; much is not standardised, much is not immediately available, much is not organised.

The national institution to coordinate all disaster and emergency related events in the country is the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). AFAD was established as a roof organisation in 2012 by Law No.5902 gathering the former General Directorate (GD) of Disaster Affairs, former GD of Civil Defence and former GD of Turkey Emergency Management. There are multiple data systems at AFAD, relevant data is also hosted at the Meteorological Office, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, at NGOs (particularly Turkish Red Crescent), with academic institutions, in the private sector, at the Ministry of Health, Ministry of National Education.

This complex scenario means that the work of this case study has prioritised an extensive activity of stakeholder engagement with a view to promoting the implementation of the UNESCO-CODATA Toolkit on Data Policy for Times of Crisis and exploring opportunities for CDIF implementation.

1. November 2024: Simon Hodson, Executive Director of CODATA, and Burçak Başbuğ, Professor METU, leading the Türkiye use case, visited METU and TEDU in Ankara. The meeting with Prof. Ahmet Yozgatlıgil, the President of METU went very well and resulted in the development of an MOU and METU’s membership of CODATA.
2. The TEDU-AFETTEK platform is interesting but a rather closed endeavour. Nevertheless, further collaboration will be sought in the context of a possible funding proposal.
3. An online seminar was held with AFAD on 9 May 2025, to introduce CODATA, to advocate the UNESCO-CODATA DPTC, to describe the CDIF approach and to explore various areas of collaboration.
4. Additional discussions will be held with the Foreign Affairs department of AFAD, and also the Director General of the Earthquake Department itself, under which both Foreign Affairs and the Climate DRR team are found.
5. A series of other meetings and dialogues have been held with a range of stakeholders:
   1. DPPI Head Prof. Rade Rajkovchevski, 6 May 2025 (online).
   2. Vlatko Jovanovski and other colleagues of Prepared International, 22 May (online).
   3. Aynur Kadihasanoglu from the Climate Centre-Geneva, date (in person).
6. Burçak has also undertaken an extensive programme to disseminate and identify implementation opportunities for the UNESCO-CODATA DPTC:
   1. UNDRR Global Platform for DRR in Geneva 2-6 June 2025 (in person)).
   2. Launch of the DPTC Toolkit at UNESCO, Paris, on 4 June 2025 (in person).
   3. UC Berkeley Hazards Centre, dates
   4. 50th Annual Natural Hazards Workshop at the University of Colorado at Boulder between 13 and 16 July 2025. The Global Alliance of Disaster Research Institutes (GADRI) meeting was held at the same location between 21 and 23 July 2025 this year and was attended by Virginia Murray. .

All these efforts are building towards a workshop in the week of 26 November 2025 at METU with participation from AFAD, the Turkish Red Crescent, METU, Ankara municipality, Ankara University, Gazi University with their Disaster Management Centres and other related stakeholders. The workshop will promote the implementation of the UNESCO-CODATA DPTC Toolkit, through an interactive exercise designed to identify gaps and specify concrete steps that can be taken to adopt the recommendations and align current practices and workflows. Similarly, the project team is preparing tutorial style, hands-on guidance on the use of CDIF and related tools. This will likely include demonstrations of the current tools for metadata enhancement and the incorporation of CDIF / DDI-CDI in the Dataverse repository system.

The engagement with stakeholders in Türkiye has been led by Dr. Burçak Başbuğ, Professor at METU University and co-chair of the UNESCO-CODATA DPTC WG, and supported by Dr. Simon Hodson, CODATA Executive Director and Matti Heikkurinen, CODATA Project Portfolio Manager.

The workshop in November will have additional input from the UNESCO-CODATA DPTC WG and CODATA experts.