Another information portal by world bank in the lead.

Shahzad



-----Original Message-----
From: enora@... [mailto:enora@...]
Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2005 11:27 PM
To: shahzad@...
Subject: Consortium Launches Web Portal to Assist Relief Effort in

Consortium Launches Web Portal to Assist Relief Effort in
Earthquake-Affected Villages in Pakistan

How to Provide Information:
RISE: Pakistan Relief and Information Systems for Earthquakes: Pakistan
www.risepak.com
Telephone: 0301-4573534
Fax: 042-5894990
SMS: 0301- 4573531,0301- 4573532
E-mail: quake@...

Media Contacts:
In Islamabad:
Shahzad Sharjeel (051) 2279641
ssharjeel@...

In Washington DC
Erik Nora
(202) 458-4735
enora@...

WASHINGTON, October 19, 2005 - An information-sharing web portal Pakistan
Relief and Information Systems for Earthquakes (RISE) was launched today
designed to provide information about the 4,000 earthquake-affected villages
in the largely rural North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Azad Jammu &
Kashmir
(AJK) in Pakistan.

RISE has been developed and will be maintained by a consortium of experts
drawn from US and Pakistani Universities, the World Bank and the private
sector with support from the Government of Pakistan. It will provide
up-to-date damage and relief information about affected villages from
agencies, relief workers, local officials, and anyone with access to
immediate village-level data that will critically support the current
coordination of relief.

"Real-time information from the villages is essential. District-level
information is helpful, but details about each and every village will make
sure no one is left behind," said John Wall, World Bank Country Director for
Pakistan.

The portal offers pre-earthquake information showing village-level
demographic and infrastructure data, major road networks and the distance of
every village from the epicenter of the earthquake. Each of the 4,000
villages is also listed on a table of common headings, including everything
from amount of aid received to agencies working in the area.

Wall said RISE was truly a remarkable and spontaneous collaboration by a
range of academics and development practitioners. "This portal will be the
key to coordination among donors and relief agencies, and The World Bank
will certainly use it extensively to plan our follow-up support to
Pakistan," Wall added.

The web portal is a joint effort by experts from Lahore University of
Management Sciences (LUMS), Harvard University and Pomona College in the US,
the World Bank, Pakistan's National Database and Registration Authority
(NADRA), Mahbub ul Haq Human Development Center, and World Online,
Pakistan's largest internet provider which is hosting the web portal.

"All the latest satellite, geographical and statistical information at the
village-level for the affected areas is now consolidated in one database,"
said Aamer Manzoor, Co-Founder and Vice-President of World Online. "The
world-wide collaboration enabled us to work round-the-clock with the best
experts in the field."

Relief workers, donors, the government, and volunteers can provide
information by directly posting information on www.risepak.com, by sending
text-messages, faxes, e-mails, or calling any of the listed phone numbers.

To access the web site, please visit www.risepak.com

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