The Sahana Software Foundation develops free and open source disaster management software to help organizations better prepare for and respond to disasters. It was established in 2009 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit after its software, Sahana, helped coordinate relief efforts following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Sahana has since been deployed during many disasters worldwide and is used by humanitarian groups, governments, and aid organizations to manage resources, locate people, and map communities to strengthen disaster resilience.

1. Making Chaos Manageable
“No innovation matters more
than that which saves lives”
Avelino J. Cruz, Jr., Secretary of National Defense of the Philippines
on the use of Sahana following disastrous mudslides in 2005
http://bit.ly/sahana-brief

2. Sahana Software Foundation
☀ Established in 2009 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization
☀ Mission: To save lives by providing information
management solutions that enable organizations and
communities to better prepare for and respond to
disasters.
☀ SSF develops free and open source software that solves
concrete problems and brings efficiencies to disaster
response coordination between governments, aid
organizations, civil society and disaster survivors.
http://bit.ly/sahana-brief

3. The Historic Trigger: 2004 Indian
Ocean Earthquake & Tsunami
☀ At least 226,000 dead
☀ Up to 5 million people
lost their homes, or
access to food and water
☀ 1 million people left
without a means to make
a living
☀ At least $7.5 billion in the
cost of damages
“Facts and Figures: Asian Tsunami Disaster”
New Scientist, 20 January 2005
http://bit.ly/sahana-brief

4. Sahana first deployed for
Sri Lanka tsunami response
http://bit.ly/sahana-brief

5. Disaster Experience
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2013: Super Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda
2012: Hurricane Sandy, Chile Wildfires
2011: Joplin Tornado, Tohoku Earthquake & Tsunami,
Christchurch Earthquake, Colombia Floods
2010: Venezuela Floods, Veracruz Hurricane, Pakistan
Floods, Chile Earthquake, Haiti Earthquake
2008: Chengdu-Sitzuan Earthquake, Cyclone Nargis
(Myanmar), Bihar Flooding (India)
2007: Ica Earthquake (Peru), Cyclone Sidr
2006: Yogjakarta Earthquake,
2005: Philippine Landslides, Kashmir Earthquake
2004: Indian Ocean Earthquake & Tsunami
http://bit.ly/sahana-brief

6. Sahana leading the
“New Information Environment”
New information and communication technologies, new information providers, and
new international communities of interest emerged during the Haiti earthquake
response that will forever change how humanitarian information is collected, shared,
and managed. Humanitarian responders used social networking media, mobile phone text
messaging, open source software applications, and commercial satellite imagery more than
ever before. Outside of the established international humanitarian community, volunteers and
participatory reporters from the affected population became new sources of data and
information. Humanitarian organizations, host governments, and the donor community
will all need to adapt to this new information environment.
US Department of State Humanitarian Information Unit, White Paper: Haiti Earthquake: Breaking New
Ground in the Humanitarian Information Landscape, July 2010
New partners are offering faster, more effective means of analyzing an ever-increasing
volume and velocity of data. The challenge ahead is how to create an effective interface
between these resources, and create an eco-system where each actor understands its role.
It will not be easy. Volunteer and technical communities (V&TCs) like OpenStreetMap,
Sahana and CrisisMappers approach problems in ways that challenge the status quo.
UN Foundation, Disaster Relief 2.0:
The Future of Information Sharing in Humanitarian Emergencies, 2011
http://bit.ly/sahana-brief

7. Testimonials
Faced with disaster situations, like those lived by [Chile] in the last days, the need
for information becomes imperative. With this Smart Center, we can significantly
reduce response times for the persons that search, and optimize volunteer work.
Lorenza Donoso, President of the Chilean Red Cross on the Sahana Eden-based Smart Center solution,
used in response to wildfires in early 2012
Sahana [Eden] is blowing my mind. I can’t think of any project we’ve done that we
couldn’t build on this platform.
@CDRP_FSU (Center for Disaster Risk Policy at Florida State University), 2012
No innovation matters more than that which saves lives.
Avelino J. Cruz, Jr., Secretary of National Defense of the Philippines on the use of Sahana following
disastrous mudslides in 2005
The Sahana Software Foundation’s commitment to supporting grassroots,
community-led organizing endeavors has been astounding.
Devin Balkind,, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Sarapis Foundation on the Sahana Software
Foundation’s response to Hurricane Sandy, 2013
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http://bit.ly/sahana-brief

8. Partners, Users & Sponsors
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International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC)
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
City of Los Angeles Emergency Management Department
City of New York Office of Emergency Management
US National Library of Medicine
European Commission Humanitarian Aid Corps
Timor Leste National Disaster Operations Center
Asia Disaster Preparedness Center
Philippines Government: DSWD
UN World Food Programme
Nepal Government: DHM
Bombeiros (Portugal)
LirneAsia
Google & IBM
http://bit.ly/sahana-brief

9. Awards and Honors
☀ Computerworld Honors Laureate in
Human Services, 2013
☀ Gartner “Cool Vendor” in Risk
Management & Compliance, 2010
☀ Public Private Businesses Inc. Best
Practices Award, 2010
☀ Free Software Foundation Award for
Social Benefit, 2006
http://bit.ly/sahana-brief

10. Screenshots of Sahana
Deployments
http://bit.ly/sahana-brief

11. People Locator
US National Library of Medicine
United States
2009-present

15. Disaster Risk Reduction
(DRR) Project Portal
www.drrprojects.net
Asia Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC)
Asia Pacific Region - 2010-present
http://bit.ly/sahana-brief

20. Resource Management
System
International Federation of Red Cross and
Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
Global - 2011-present
http://bit.ly/sahana-brief

25. Give2LA
City of Los Angeles
Emergency Management Department
USA - 2011-present
http://bit.ly/sahana-brief

29. Disaster Management
Portal
National Disaster Operations Center
Timor Leste - 2013-present
(Under Development)
http://bit.ly/sahana-brief

34. http://bit.ly/sahana-brief

35. Community Resilience
Mapping Tool
Los Angeles Department of Public Health
USA - 2013-present
(Under Development)
http://bit.ly/sahana-brief

38. Sandy Relief
Occupy Sandy
and other Community Based Organizations
New York City
2012-2013
http://bit.ly/sahana-brief

39. Hurricane Sandy Response
http://bit.ly/sahana-brief

40. Requests… Meals, Supplies,
Volunteers
http://bit.ly/sahana-brief

41. Sandy Relief Site
http://bit.ly/sahana-brief

42. Human Impact
http://bit.ly/EdenGeoNYC

43. http://bit.ly/sahana-brief

44. Super Typhoon Yolanda
Philippines
2013-present
http://bit.ly/sahana-brief

46. Free and Open Source Software Projects
Freedom to use, analyze, modify and re-distribute
Available for everybody at no cost
Open for research and development
Collaboratively developed by a Global community
http://SahanaFoundation.org
@sahanafoss
http://bit.ly/sahana-brief