Addressing the data gap: analysis of infrastructure damages and service disruption in PDNAs

This report aims to examine data on disaster losses related to infrastructure damage and service disruption in Post Disaster Needs Assessments (PDNAs) submitted by nations between 2010 and 2020, and to identify where gaps still exist in PDNA reporting. The report also aims to identify obstacles and offer suggestions to improve reporting, including by improving the current PDNA methodology.

Detailed analysis of a selection of 57 PDNA processes conducted worldwide over the last decade shows that PDNA reports do not clearly include estimates of service disruptions in the disaster losses analysed. The analysis also shows that infrastructure losses and related service disruptions are estimated less frequently than physical damage in PDNA processes. The main reasons for this in the PDNA reports analyzed are:

• a lack of pre-disaster data;
• inadequate preparation of responsible officials to collect and prioritize such data; and
• limited understanding of the estimation of service disruption as part of disaster losses.