Resilient information infrastructures: Mobilizing adaptive capacities under extreme events

In recent decades, the frequency of large-scale catastrophic disasters or extreme events has dramatically increased. Extreme events overwhelm entire regions and communities to the extent that traditional disaster preparedness and response planning prove insufficient during and after an event. The devastation from an unfolding extreme event can be so grand that response efforts are severely hampered, and the recovery process aimed to restore former levels of performance and wellness might take years or even decades. Reliable, accurate, complete, and timely information has been touted the key resource when coping with an extreme event. However, the complex and not merely technical information infrastructure necessary for providing and transferring the high-quality information to and from responders has been little studied and is not well understood. This paper attempts to develop a conceptual understanding of dimensions and interacting elements in a resilient information infrastructure under the duress of an extreme event.