GIS in Disaster Management

Internet-based GIS in effective natural disaster management

Disaster Management by GIS

The use of remote sensing and GIS has become an integrated, well-developed and successful tool in disaster management. Remote sensing and GIS can be a very useful tool to complement conventional methods involved in Disaster Management Mitigation. The use of remote sensing data such as satellite imageries allow us to map the variability of terrain properties, such as vegetation, water, geology, etc. Many types of disaster such as floods, droughts, earthquakes, etc will have certain precursors that satellite can detect. Remote sensing also allows monitoring the events as it occurs. Geospatial technology is uniquely suited to collect information of disaster prevention, impact assessment and help to remediable damages.

The occurrence of disasters, their intensities, areas of their occurrence and their impact need to be assessed. It is also required to have the information / data about the damage they cause to the area and population.

With the data collection, storage and retrieval becoming highly technological and scientific, new specialized techniques like Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are increasingly used for disaster mapping.

No other technology allows the visualizing of an emergency or disaster situation as effectively as GIS do, by placing the accurate physical geography of a disaster event on a computer monitor, and then aligning other relevant features, events, conditions, or threats with that geography, GIS allows decision making based on data. GIS brings many information sources into one focus, helping clarify which elements in a disaster needs immediate attention, which can wait and which can be delegated.

GIS can be used effectively in disaster management for the following purposes:

CyberSWIFT has visualized most effective solutions so as to enable to connect with the people in crucial events so as to provide emergency services on the spur of the moment.