Plenary 4: Understanding Disasters - Geospatial Technologies in Risk Reduction and Disaster Management

Chaired and supported by ESRI

Nowadays, a large variety of tools and instruments is available to provide basic inputs for the analysis and assessment of risks and disasters. Information from different backgrounds and perspectives can be visualized in new, flexible ways and linked with comparative ease to other models, algorithms and tools. Geospatial technologies play an important role in risk reduction and disaster management. GIS and satellite imagery are indispensable tools in DRR, be it for hazard and risk analysis, characterization of vulnerability or assessment of damage. This information is useful, not only for prevention and preparedness, but also to reduce response time and enhance accuracy during the intervention and recovery phases of disasters. Crisis response imagery and related spatial information may greatly assist priority setting and resource allocation in DRR, and may speed up information exchange. This session will discuss how to use geospatial technologies, vulnerability modeling, data mining, and other emerging techniques, in order to add benefit to risk reduction and disaster management.

SESSION CHAIR:
Russ JOHNSON, Director of Public Safety, ESRI, Redlands, USA

Jeff BARANYI, Public Safety Technology Lead, ESRI, Broomfield, USA
Heather BELL, Science Advisor, Pacific Disaster Center, Kihei, Hawaii, USA
Russ JOHNSON, Director of Public Safety, ESRI, Redlands, USA
Ryan LANCLOS, Disaster Management Industry Manager, ESRI, Redlands, USA
Wendi PEDERSEN, GIS Analyst and Rapid Mapping Expert, UNOSAT, United Nations Institute for Training and Research UNITAR, Geneva, Switzerland
Joaquin RAMIREZ, Principal Consultant, DTS Wildfire, Orlando, USA