Disaster Management,  GIS,  Remote Sensing

How GIS and Remote Sensing Are Playing the Most Critical Role in Disaster Management?

India has been ranked the 14th most disaster-prone country in the world due to extreme weather-related disasters. Also, disasters are spatial in nature as they strike at a particular location and impact a specific region. GIS & remote sensing are inevitable parts of the disaster monitoring life-cycle. The preparedness stage of the pre-disaster situation is followed by during & post-disaster which is attributed to response & recovery & rehabilitation efforts. GIS provides accurate spatial data and insights into disaster response strategies and enables the visualization of critical vulnerabilities and damages.

Subsequently, location intelligence plays a critical part in disaster monitoring. GIS combined with remote sensing gives an essential structure, helps in every one of the phases of calamity the board beginning from readiness to reaction and recovery. Through advanced wireless technologies and web-based GIS applications, disaster management by governments and other agencies is being revolutionized and is enhancing the coordination of response efforts as well as planning for disaster risk reduction. GIS has already been applied in several parts of the earth for effectiveness, assessing disaster risks, provide quick solutions according to the location of impact. (E.g. cyclone, landfall, earthquake epicenter, forest fire), physical characteristics of the disaster(magnitude in case of earthquake, central pressure in case of cyclone), local conditions land use, and type and stature of designs.

We create disaster or hazard maps to show the risk zones as well as disaster impact zones. Hazard maps are being created for various natural and man-made hazards such as earthquakes, cyclones, floods, forest fires, etc. which helps to understand the risk of impacted areas and rescue planning accordingly.

Earthquake hazard maps of India – Showing Faults, thrusts & earthquakes of magnitude ≥ 5 (Source: bmtpc.org)

For e.g., in areas with high earthquake vulnerability, retrofitting of structures and enforcing strict building codes is a must. CyberSWIFT preplans and improves preparedness by mapping evacuation routes, shelter planning, debris removal planning, stocking enough supplies, conducting mock drills, etc.

Previously, Governments during natural disasters was limited to relief, sending rescue team, and forecasting the intensity of the impact. But using GIS technology in disaster management helps govt organizations to create a monitoring system software, which is capable of risk assessment, mitigation, and planning.

CyberSWIFT has developed a disaster management system software that helps organizations (Govt or Private) the outcomes of multi-hazard risk assessment for activities performed for mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. This cloud-based web GIS solution has been successfully implemented in several nations of the world and has proven to be an impactful tool for mainstreaming disaster risk reduction. Mathematical modeling and GIS analytics form the backbone of this framework

Responding to a disaster it is important to know the accurate location analysis, where the disaster had occurred. Responding to all these problems we use GIS and remote sensing techniques coupled with technologies like satellite imagery, aerial photography using aircraft or drones.

Remote Sensing images of hazard area – Source: satpalda

To assess the overall damage soon after a disaster strike, we use remote sensing technologies to map the affected locations and compare the data to historical information. GIS has been used for the storage of digitized maps, visualization and analysis, and remote sensing helps in map preparation.

Being a leading GIS company CyberSWIFT is equipped with high-resolution satellite imageries, which is made available by the govt bodies or private organizations. Furthermore, we have participated in multiple post-disaster surveys on the ground to survey sample damage assessment surveys which are conducted by our expert team.

For any successful disaster management rescue operation, the most important factors are to find the accurate location, ongoing phenomena that are happening at the location, and time to provide better preparedness to tackle the situation smoothly. Remote sensing coupled with GIS helps in storing, analyzing, and retrieving data. Our web GIS-based disaster monitoring solution acts as a life and resource-saving tool in two ways – it facilitates quick evacuation during a disaster and helps in delivering effective rescue operations post-disaster.

Currently heading the Business Development at CyberSWIFT, Dip is a Creative, Collaborative, Solution-Oriented Technologist, who is passionate about providing a Win/ Win situation to both Client and Company. With 10+ years of experience in the IT & Geospatial Industry, he has been in different shoes at different times viz. Strategic Business Development, Direct Sales, Project Management, Solution Architect, etc.

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