Pacific Disaster Center (PDC)
Abstract
The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, (USD(A&S)), is the Operational Sponsor and functional Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) Principal Staff Assistant (PSA) for the program. USD(A&S) will continue to provide acquisition oversight authority for the program. The PDC has been in operation since February 1996, as a public/private partnership managed by the University of Hawaii (UH) under a cooperative agreement with the Department of Defense. Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) functions, manpower, and budget resources transferred to the OUSD (A&S) and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) in October 2011. The PDC is a world-recognized authority and leader in science and information technology applications relating to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR). PDC’s applications and information products enhance preparedness, situational awareness, and civil-military communications for humanitarian missions worldwide, while its national-level socio-economic Risk and Vulnerability Assessments help inform strategies by measuring indicators for national resiliency using scientific methods. The DLA J35, Plans Executive Directorate oversees program management responsibilities related to the PDC. The Program Manager's primary responsibility is for management and stewardship of governmental funds provided in Defense Department appropriations for DoD missions associated with DoD CrM, HA/DR, Theater Security Cooperation, and Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA). In doing this, the Program Management Office develops and provides policy, oversight and guidance, and jointly develops strategic guidelines, programmatic content and priorities with the UH and PDC. The PDC Program Office also serves as a support element of the Hawaii-based organization especially in the area of gaining Federal agency support and resources, as well as business opportunities. In 2022, the Pacific Disaster Center was recognized as the winner of the United Nations Sasakawa Award for its global efforts related to disaster risk reduction. FY 2023 Accomplishments: -Supported Combatant Command HA/DR efforts with partner countries through analytics and information product development, DisasterAWARE RAPIDS training delivery, TTX planning and execution, and disaster response, including Typhoon Nora (INDOPACOM), Hurricane Ian (SOUTHCOM), Turkey M7.8 earthquake (EUCOM / NATO), USN Comfort and Tradewinds Exercises (SOUTHCOM), South Asia Disaster Response Exercise and Exchange – DREE (INDOPACOM/USARPAC), to name a few. -In collaboration with NASA, extended hazard coverage (Global Flood) by releasing results of nearly two years of joint scientific work, available now in RAPIDS/DisasterAWARE. Global Landsilde, also jointly developed with NASA’s team, is also expected to release by Sep ‘23. -Enhanced DisasterAWARE features with three major releases, growing RAPIDS and DisasterAWARE Pro user base 7% to nearly 28k combined. -Completed and advanced Climate Change Impact (CCI) assessments on impacts to warfighting and military readiness within INDOPACOM and SOUTHCOM AORs. The analysis was used in the commander’s briefings, including in comments delivered to the US Congress by the SOUTHCOM commander. -Integrated PDC’s Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) analysis as a core component of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School Civil Affairs Anti-Slavery Course. -Advanced application of AI to HADR/DRR efforts by enhancing capabilities to semi-automate analysis of global disaster articles to uncover hazards not otherwise detected; PDC chaired World AI Summit, highlighting PDC’s “AI for Humanity” program. -Expanded partnerships continuing and extending collaborations with UN/IGO agencies (WFP, UNOCHA, UNDRR, IOM, IFRC, UNICEF), Hawaii Green Growth, iMAPP, and others supporting global DRR programs. -Maui Wildfires (Aug ‘23): Provided support to the operational (EOC) mapping and information needs to federal, state, and local government agencies, decision makers, and the public. Highlights include mapping critical response data; PDC’s estimated damages produced hours after the fires was used in the Hawaii Governor public briefing, and as a basis for requesting Presidential disaster declaration; DisasterAWARE used as main COP (by the state, local, federal agencies, etc.). PDC registered over 520 new RAPIDS/DisasterAWARE users in the two weeks since the event. -National Disaster PBA engagements in Guyana, Ghana, Nepal, Columbia, Palau, Djibouti, Suriname, and 7 ECI counties (Barbados, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Dominica, Antigua). -Launched Early Warning System capacity development programs in Balkans (Albania, Montenegro, N. Macedonia, Kosovo) in partnership with USFS and EUCOM, and in Timor-Leste in partnership with UN IOM and USAID.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2025
- Source ID
- fed8a147a45ef4c213b9c77abb21efad
Related Documents
- Root: Pacific Disaster Center