The growing role of web-based geospatial technology in disaster response and support

This paper examines changes in disaster response and relief efforts and recent web‐based geospatial technological developments through an evaluation of the experiences of the Center for Geographic Analysis, Harvard University, of the Sichuan (2008) and Haiti (2010) earthquake responses. This paper o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Disasters Vol. 37; no. 2; pp. 201 - 221
Main Authors: Kawasaki, Akiyuki, Berman, Merrick Lex, Guan, Wendy
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.04.2013
Subjects:
Accidents
API (application programming interface)
Case studies
China
Colleges & universities
crowd-sourcing
Decentralization
Disaster management
Disaster Relief
Disasters
Dynamical systems
Dynamics
Earthquakes
Educational institutions
Employment
Evaluation
Geographic Information Systems
Geographic Information Systems - trends
Geographical information systems
Geology
geospatial portal
GIS (geographic information systems)
Government agencies
Haiti
Haiti earthquake
Harvard university
Humans
Information sharing
Information systems
Information technology
Internet
mash-ups
Natural disasters
Participation
public involvement
Relief Work - organization & administration
Remote sensing
Satellite navigation systems
Seismic activity
Seismic phenomena
Sichuan earthquake
Spatial analysis
Studies
Technological Change
Technology
Universities
web mapping
Webs
World Wide Web
Haiti
China
Sichuan China
ISSN:0361-3666, 1467-7717, 1467-7717
Online Access:Get full text
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Description
Summary:This paper examines changes in disaster response and relief efforts and recent web‐based geospatial technological developments through an evaluation of the experiences of the Center for Geographic Analysis, Harvard University, of the Sichuan (2008) and Haiti (2010) earthquake responses. This paper outlines how conventional GIS (geographic information systems) disaster responses by governmental agencies and relief response organisations and the means for geospatial data‐sharing have been transformed into a more dynamic, more transparent, and decentralised form with a wide participation. It begins by reviewing briefly at historical changes in the employment of geospatial technologies in major devastating disasters, including the Sichuan and Haiti earthquakes (case studies for our geospatial portal project). It goes on to assess changes in the available dataset type and in geospatial disaster responders, as well as the impact of geospatial technological changes on disaster relief effort. Finally, the paper discusses lessons learned from recent responses and offers some thoughts for future development.
Bibliography:ark:/67375/WNG-PVGBTZD8-8
ArticleID:DISA1302
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ObjectType-Feature-1
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ISSN:0361-3666
1467-7717
1467-7717
DOI:10.1111/j.1467-7717.2012.01302.x