Training Course on GIS for Disaster Risk Management

Datastat Research Center
Wed, 11 Oct - Mon, 30 Oct 2017

Geographic information systems (GIS) play a vital role in disaster risk assessment and management. They support planning, response and recovery efforts and improve situational awareness. Unplanned population growth and rapid urbanization combined with extreme climatic events are some of the challenges that increase the vulnerability of a community. To address these challenges there is need to create awareness among disaster managers regarding the usefulness of GIS in disaster risk management.

The focus of the course will be on the use of data during pre- and post- disaster management such as in early warning systems and hazard, vulnerability, risk and damage assessments as well as in the design of risk reduction measures.

Objectives of the course

  • Describe and utilize spatial data, geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing in disaster risk assessment and management
  • Utilize existing sources of historical disaster information
  • Apply GIS/remote sensing in hazard, vulnerability, and risk assessment
  • Utilize risk information in emergency preparedness planning
  • Visualize hazard and risk information
  • Apply GIS/remote sensing to post-disaster damage assessment

Course content

  • Basic concepts and terminologies of disaster management
  • Basic concepts of geographical information systems (GIS) and remote sensing
  • Introduction to spatial information
  • Handling spatial information (introduction to ArcGIS)
  • The use of satellite imagery for disaster relief and recovery
  • Impact analysis and preliminary damage assessment
  • Building damage assessment
  • Hazard assessment
  • Elements at risk and vulnerability assessment
  • Types and methods of risk assessment, risk evaluation, cost and benefit analysis
  • Risk evaluation
  • Risk information and spatial planning
  • Visualization of risk information
  • Requirements

    • Proficiency in English language
    • Meet admission criteria

    Methodology

    Training will be interactive through presentations, group work, practical exercises and web based tutorials.

    Participants working or who will be working in the organizations where spatial information is used or considered to be used for the purpose of disaster risk management, disaster management, or disaster risk reduction.
    Datastat Research Center
    Nairobi
    English
    academic