Critical Data Source; Tool or Even Infrastructure? Challenges of Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing for Disaster Risk Governance

ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information

Alexander Fekete¹  Katerina Tzavella¹  Iuliana Armas⁵  Jane Binner⁸  Matthias Garschagen⁶  Carlo Giupponi⁷  Vahid Mojtahed⁷  Marcello Pettita⁹  Stefan Schneiderbauer²  Damien Serre⁴  Christoph Aubrecht³ 

[1] Institute of Rescue Engineering and Civil Protection, Cologne University of Applied Sciences, Betzdorfer Str. 2, Köln 50679, Germany; E-Mail:;European Academy-EURAC, Institute for Applied Remote Sensing, European Academy of Bozen/Bolzano, Viale Druso 1, Bolzano 39100, Italy, E-Mail:;Institute of Rescue Engineering and Civil Protection, Cologne University of Applied Sciences, Betzdorfer Str. 2, Köln 50679, Germany; E-Mail;UMR ESPACE 7300 CNRS, Université d’Avignon et des Pays du Vaucluse, Case 19, 74 rue Louis Pasteur, 84029 Avignon Cedex, France; E-Mail:;Faculty of Geography, Department of Geomorphology-Pedology-Geomatics, University of Bucharest, NicolaeBalcescu 1, Sector 1, 010041 Bucharest, Romania; E-Mail:;Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), United Nations University, Bonn D-53113, Germany; E-Mail:;Venice Centre for Climate Studies, Department of Economics, Ca’ Foscari University, Venice 30121, Italy; E-Mails:;Department of Finance, Business School, University House, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; E-Mail:;Amigo S.R.L., via flaminia 48, Roma 00196, Italy; E-Mail:

关键词: disaster risk management;    geographic information systems;    remote sensing;    volunteered geographic information;    crowdsourcing;    critical infrastructure;    crisis mapping;    civil protection;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijgi4041848

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Disaster risk information is spatial in nature and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) play an important key role by the services they provide to society. In this context, to risk management and governance, in general, and to civil protection, specifically (termed differently in many countries, and includes, for instance: civil contingencies in the UK, homeland security in the USA, disaster risk reduction at the UN level). The main impetus of this article is to summarize key contributions and challenges in utilizing and accepting GIS and RS methods and data for disaster risk governance, which includes public bodies, but also risk managers in industry and practitioners in search and rescue organizations. The article analyzes certain method developments, such as vulnerability indicators, crowdsourcing, and emerging concepts, such as Volunteered Geographic Information, but also investigates the potential of the topic Critical Infrastructure as it could be applied on spatial assets and GIS and RS itself. Intended to stimulate research on new and emerging fields, this article’s main contribution is to move spatial research toward a more reflective stance where opportunities and challenges are equally and transparently addressed in order to gain more scientific quality. As a conclusion, GIS and RS can play a pivotal role not just in delivering data but also in connecting and analyzing data in a more integrative, holistic way.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.