Indices are gaining popularity as a method of characterizing complex phenomena in an intuitive and actionable manner and are applied to such diverse topics as resilience, economic impacts, climate change, social vulnerability, and critical infrastructure. When well-designed, indices provide a standardized, generalizable, and flexible framework for decision making that is suitable for widespread decision making. Without proper validation, they can misrepresent vulnerability and risk, and ultimately be used to misallocate funding. NASA and ImageCat will lead a round table discussion that brings together developers and end users to discuss the potential benefits and drawbacks of an index-based approach, as well as how to move from indexes to action. The EO-based Global Economic Disruption Index (GEDI) will be presented and discussed, along with other global indices (possibly the Global Resilience Index Initiative (GRII)) and at least two end-users (to be decided, with a focus on NGOs and government usage).
Video recording not available.
