Toward a sustainable data ecosystem for cross-border disaster risk reduction (DRR)

In recent years, cross-border data ecosystems have been established to support disaster risk reduction (DRR). However, they remain rare, and the barriers to their development have been well documented. In contrast, what makes data ecosystems for DRR sustainable remains unknown. This paper focuses on the Italian French cross-border region, characterized by the natural frontier of the Alps. This cross-border region has been promoting data sharing for many years. We completed a qualitative analysis of the case, primarily based on interviews and observations of workshops and an exercise. Our findings outline the combination of three necessary key conditions for perpetuating the sustainability of a cross-border data ecosystem for DRR: i) the co-construction of a shared vision and governance, ii) the development of trusting relationships to and within the ecosystem, and iii) the harmonious development of data capabilities within the ecosystem. In the long term, enacting these three drivers is necessary to create favorable conditions for the functioning of the data ecosystems for DRR. This research contributes to research on DRR by improving our understanding of the internal requirements for the sustainable sharing of data for DRR at borders. Based on the findings, practical recommendations for practitioners are discussed.