Technology for humanitarian action / edited by Kevin M. Cahill.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Cahill, Kevin M.

Series:

International humanitarian affairs ; no. 4.

International humanitarian affairs

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Technology--Social aspects.

Technology.

Disaster relief.

Physical Description:

xii, 319 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

New York : Fordham University Press and the Center for International Health and Cooperation in cooperation with Stevens Institute of Technology, 2005.

Summary:

Humanitarian workers around the world struggle under dangerous conditions. Yet many do not have the technological tools readily available elsewhere to help them realize their mission to provide essential services and save lives.

This book, the fruit of a historic conference bringing together technology experts and humanitarian relief workers, is a practical guide to current technologies that can help relief and aid workers succeed. Designed to facilitate needed technology transfers to the humanitarian sector, the essays focus on areas where technology is underutilized and indicate some of the technologic frontiers that may change the way complex emergencies will be handled in the future.

The essays cover critical technological issues and applications in communications, infrastructure, support, and security. They describe how such technologies as personal identification and tagging systems, software, radios, wireless networks, and computer-aided language translation can promote safety and manage large groups of people. Other essays outline new technological solutions to such challenges as mine removal, water purification, and energy generation.

Contents:

Technology and Humanitarian Actions: A Historical Perspective / Geoffrey W. Clark, Ph.D., Frank L. Fernandez, Ph.D., Zhen Zhang 1

Communications Technologies

Biometrics: Personal ID/Tagging / C. Kumar N. Patel, Ph.D. 24

Wireless Telecommunications / Paul J. Kolodzy, Ph.D. 41

Cognitive Radio for Humanitarian Operations / Joseph Mitola III, Ph.D. 67

Language Technologies for Humanitarian Aid / Jaime G. Carbonnel, Ph.D., Alon Lavie, Ph.D., Lori Levin, Ph.D., Alan W. Black, Ph.D. 111

Media for Reaching Large Audiences / Joseph Bravman, Ph.D. 139

Support Technologies

Enhancing Security for Humanitarian Operations through Technology and Information / Joseph V. Braddock, Ph.D. 160

High-Resolution Earth Monitoring for Humanitarian Action / Arthur Lerner-Lam, Ph.D., Kristina Rodriguez Czuchlewski, Jeffrey G. Weissel 190

Energy Technologies for Humanitarian Purposes / Ralph B. James, Ph.D., Helen Todosow 213

Potential Impact of Advanced Vaccine and Water Technology in Humanitarian Operations / William L. Warren, Ph.D. 247

Demining Technology / Regina E. Dugan, Ph.D. 272

The Center for International Health and Cooperation and the Institute for International Humanitarian Affairs 305.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [291]-298) and index.

ISBN:

0823223949

OCLC:

57069533