Geoinformation for Disaster and Risk Management: Methods and Measured Value

Natural disasters disrupt societies, strain national economies and claim thousands of lives each year. Storms, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and prolonged droughts damage infrastructure, displace communities and threaten livelihoods. Transportation systems collapse, communication networks fail and agricultural productivity declines. Beyond the immediate humanitarian toll, these events impose long-term economic consequences.

Yet many impacts can be reduced through stronger risk assessment, early warning systems and continuous hazard monitoring. Advances in Earth observation and geospatial information technologies provide critical tools to improve preparedness and response.

The Role of Geospatial Technologies

Earth observation platforms generate timely data on atmospheric, hydrological and geological processes. When processed and integrated within geographic information systems (GIS), these datasets enable authorities to assess vulnerability, forecast hazard onset and monitor evolving disaster conditions.

In recent years, significant progress has been made in technologies for storing, processing and visualizing geospatial information. National and global Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs) have emerged to improve data accessibility and interoperability. These systems support:

• Hazard prediction and modeling
• Risk mapping and vulnerability analysis
• Early warning dissemination
• Operational emergency response coordination

However, technological capability alone is insufficient. Effective implementation requires political commitment, regulatory frameworks, institutional capacity and inter-agency collaboration. Knowledge transfer between geoscience experts, policymakers and disaster management professionals remains essential.

International organizations, including the Joint Board of Geospatial Information Societies (JB GIS) and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), have worked to bridge this gap. Through the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER), they promote the integration of space-based information into disaster risk management.

Demonstrating Best Practices

To increase awareness among decision-makers and practitioners, JB GIS and UN-SPIDER initiated a global effort to compile case studies illustrating practical applications of geospatial technologies across disaster phases. From more than 70 submissions, 16 representative examples were selected, spanning diverse regions, hazard types and management stages.

The resulting publication, Geoinformation for Disaster and Risk Management – Examples and Best Practices, was launched during the Centenary Congress of the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) in Vienna in July 2010.

The booklet provides concrete examples of how geospatial systems can be embedded within disaster risk reduction frameworks. It outlines methodologies, operational experiences and technological configurations that support prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.

Evaluating the Benefits: The VALID Initiative

While demonstrating capability answers the question of “what can be done,” policymakers often require evidence of measurable benefit. This need led to the VALID project—The Value of Geo Information for Disaster and Risk Management.

VALID aims to quantify the economic, humanitarian and operational advantages of integrating geoinformation into disaster management cycles. Its objective is to provide a scientifically grounded answer to a central question: What difference does geoinformation make?

The project adopts a two-pronged methodology to ensure comprehensive evaluation.

Socio-Economic Benefit Analysis

A traditional cost-benefit framework compares the investment cost of geoinformation systems with their societal returns. Estimating product costs is relatively straightforward; quantifying avoided losses and enhanced preparedness is more complex.

To address this, researchers conducted an extensive literature review examining documented disaster impacts and recommendations for risk reduction. From this review, needs profiles were developed to identify gaps in organization, infrastructure and information flow.

A dedicated case study on the Namibian floods of 2009 complements the broader analysis. This case explores how geospatial information influenced decision-making and identifies contextual factors—physical, social and institutional—that shape outcomes.

Web-Based Expert Survey

Recognizing that not all benefits are easily monetized, VALID also incorporates stakeholder expertise. Through the UN-SPIDER Knowledge Portal, practitioners worldwide participated in a structured poll identifying the most critical geodata products for disaster management.

Participants selected from 51 items, including hazard-specific risk maps, vulnerability assessments, damage estimation products and monitoring systems. The poll was promoted during the Gi4DM (Geo-information for Disaster Management) conference in Antalya and distributed via networks such as the United Nations Geographical Information Working Group (UNGIWG) and the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC).

This dual approach—economic modeling combined with experiential input—ensures a balanced understanding of geospatial value across the disaster management cycle.

Toward Integrated Risk Reduction

The convergence of Earth observation, spatial data infrastructures and institutional collaboration has created unprecedented opportunities for proactive disaster risk reduction. When supported by regulatory frameworks and political will, geoinformation systems can shift disaster management from reactive response to anticipatory planning.

The challenge moving forward lies not only in technological refinement but also in demonstrating value clearly enough to influence policy and investment priorities. By documenting best practices and quantifying benefits, initiatives like VALID strengthen the case for integrating geospatial intelligence into national and international disaster resilience strategies.

In doing so, they address a fundamental goal: minimizing human suffering and economic loss through informed, timely and coordinated action.