Page 24 - Risk Management Bulletin Jan- Mar 2021

RMAI BULLETIN JANUARY TO MARCH 2021

Here's how GIS helps in better

Disaster Management

F rom climate change to natural disasters, vaccine, GIS real-time spatial mapping and analysis

capabilities will play a key role in the efficient
pandemics to man-made disasters, all have
impacted millions of people worldwide. India
distribution.
is ranked as the 14th most vulnerable country
in the world due to extreme weather-related events. Mr. Kumar further says "GIS provides the ability to add
updates from remote locations for incident
Out of 36 States and Union Territories (UTs) in India, management and supplies rapid damage assessment
27 are disaster-prone. and more accurate recovery operations. As rebuilding
Around the year, India witnesses various weather begins, GIS aids local, state, and central government
events such as extremely heavy rainfall, heat and cold agencies with technology that supports collaboration
waves, snowfall, thunderstorms, dust storms, floods, between multiple organizations. An enterprise GIS
etc. Such events are a consequence of either natural platform that stores and manages all relevant
or man-made factors; both cause high loss of life, information provides a common operating picture to
property, and infrastructure. According to a report by all the stakeholders."
National Disaster Management Authority, in India, 12% GIS is an integral part of the disaster management
of the total land area is prone to floods; 68% is lifecycle; the preparedness stage of the pre-disaster
vulnerable to droughts, landslides, and avalanches, situation followed by during and post-disaster which is
58.6%of landmass is earthquake-prone, and out of attributed to response and recovery and rehabilitation
7,516 km coastline,5,700 km is prone to cyclones. efforts.GIS provides accurate spatial data and insights to
Today, India has made tremendous progress in disaster response strategies and enables visualization of
forecasting disasters using Geographic Information critical vulnerabilities and damage. This capability of GIS
System (GIS) technology. During the 2019 and 2020 was demonstrated in the Nepal earthquake tragedy in
cyclones Hudhud, Gaja, Amphan, and Nisarga, GIS 2015. The technology was applied for guiding
played an instrumental role in emergency emergency responders to affected areas and mapping
preparedness through planning and analysis and saved the impact to coordinate the relief effort.
many lives. GIS fosters improved environmental GIS-based applications inculcated interactive maps
understanding, strategic decision making, monitoring showing the earthquake locations, intensity, health
of climate change impact, and ascertaining future risks. facilities, base camps, and damage assessment. Also,
The technology has been applied across various the application acted as a common platform for data
sectors including water, agriculture, healthcare, urban collection around incident reporting for infrastructure
planning, among many others. damage or fire and information dissemination to relief
Agendra Kumar, President, Esri India Technology Pvt workers involved in providing aid to those affected by
Ltd which is into mapping and spatial analytics the devastation.
solutions, says, "In healthcare, GIS supported at the Preparedness is the key to the success of any disaster
frontline against the global pandemic Corona Virus management plan and GIS technology is one of the key
disease 2019 (COVID-19) battle through mapping enablers. Mainstreaming GIS into all the phases of
existing cases, planning quarantine centres and disaster management planning presents an
hospital infrastructure capacities, identifying hotspots opportunity to better prepare and expedite and
and vulnerable populations. Now, as the government magnify the impact of planning and relief efforts
prepares to roll out the distribution of the COVID-19 through greater efficiency.

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