GI for Disaster Management

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Department of Geomatics, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul 36626, Turkey
Interests: photogrammetry and remote sensing; geographic information system; hazard and risk management; 3S technology in SDGs
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Guest Editor
Institut Mines-Telecom - Télécom ParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 75013 Paris, France
Interests: signal and image processing; disaster management; embedded systems; radar; drone

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Guest Editor
Chair-holder and Head of Professorship, Professur für Hochfrequenztechnik and Electromagnetic Theory Technical University of Chemnitz 09126 Chemnitz, Germany
Interests: radar remote sensing; wave propagation; radar scattering

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Guest Editor
Istanbul Teknik Universitesi, Department of Geomatics Engineering, Istanbul, Turkey
Interests: remote sensing; digital image processing; change detection; environmental monitoring

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Thákurova 7, 166 29 Prague 6, Czech Republic
Interests: GIS; remote sensing; change detection; modelling; flood; reclamation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will present the potential of geospatial technologies in mitigating disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and landslides, which will be common occurrences in the future. The reduction of vulnerability through the adaptation of new and modern tools of GI technologies, e.g., through urban planning and construction, based on risk and vulnerability maps, as well as the quality and coordination of disaster mapping activities to support response measures are examples of topics with expected scientific results. The Special Issue will show how to coordinate efforts globally, as nowadays most disasters cross borders. Authors should present works in which geoinformation technologies are shown to help in all facets of disaster management.

Papers based on presentations from the upcoming GI4DM conference in September, 2019, will demonstrate the latest international advances in geoinformation for disaster management.

NOTE: This Special Issue is organized in conjunction with the upcoming GI4DM conference 2019 (http://www.gi4dm2019.org/), which will be held from 3-6 September 2019 in Prague, Czech Republic. It is open just for papers from GI4DM conference 2019.

Prof. Dr. Orhan Altan
Prof. Dr. Tullio Joseph Tanzi
Prof. Dr. Madhu Chandra
Prof. Dr. Filiz Sunar
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lena Halounová
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • disaster
  • earthquake
  • tsunami
  • flood
  • landslide
  • mitigation
  • forest fire
  • volcano

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 208 KiB  
Editorial
Spatially Supported Disaster Management: Introduction to the Special Issue “GI for Disaster Management”
by Orhan Altan, Tullio Joseph Tanzi, Madhu Chandra, Filiz Sunar and Lena Halounová
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2020, 9(5), 314; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi9050314 - 8 May 2020
Viewed by 1875
Abstract
This special issue explores most of the scientific issues related to spatially supported disaster management and its integration with geographical information system technologies in different disaster examples and scales [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue GI for Disaster Management)

Research

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19 pages, 4284 KiB  
Article
Household Level Vulnerability Analysis—Index and Fuzzy Based Methods
by Martina Baučić
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2020, 9(4), 263; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi9040263 - 19 Apr 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3218
Abstract
Coastal vulnerability assessment due to climate change impacts, particularly for sea level rise, has become an essential part of coastal management all over the world. For the planning and implementation of adaptation measures at the household level, large-scale analysis is necessary. The main [...] Read more.
Coastal vulnerability assessment due to climate change impacts, particularly for sea level rise, has become an essential part of coastal management all over the world. For the planning and implementation of adaptation measures at the household level, large-scale analysis is necessary. The main aim of this research is to investigate and propose a simple and viable assessment method that includes three key geospatial parameters: elevation, distance to coastline, and building footprint area. Two methods are proposed—one based on the Index method and another on fuzzy logic. While the former method standardizes the quantitative parameters to unit-less vulnerability sub-indices using functions (avoiding crisp classification) and summarizes them, the latter method turns quantitative parameters into linguistic variables and further implements fuzzy logic. For comparison purposes, a third method is considered: the existing Index method using crisp values for vulnerability sub-indices. All three methods were implemented, and the results show significant differences in their vulnerability assessments. A discussion on the advantages and disadvantages led to the following conclusion: although the fuzzy logic method satisfies almost all the requirements, a less complex method based on functions can be applied and still yields significant improvement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue GI for Disaster Management)
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15 pages, 3661 KiB  
Article
Effectiveness of Sentinel-2 in Multi-Temporal Post-Fire Monitoring When Compared with UAV Imagery
by Luís Pádua, Nathalie Guimarães, Telmo Adão, António Sousa, Emanuel Peres and Joaquim J. Sousa
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2020, 9(4), 225; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi9040225 - 7 Apr 2020
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 4159
Abstract
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become popular in recent years and are now used in a wide variety of applications. This is the logical result of certain technological developments that occurred over the last two decades, allowing UAVs to be equipped with different [...] Read more.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become popular in recent years and are now used in a wide variety of applications. This is the logical result of certain technological developments that occurred over the last two decades, allowing UAVs to be equipped with different types of sensors that can provide high-resolution data at relatively low prices. However, despite the success and extraordinary results achieved by the use of UAVs, traditional remote sensing platforms such as satellites continue to develop as well. Nowadays, satellites use sophisticated sensors providing data with increasingly improving spatial, temporal and radiometric resolutions. This is the case for the Sentinel-2 observation mission from the Copernicus Programme, which systematically acquires optical imagery at high spatial resolutions, with a revisiting period of five days. It therefore makes sense to think that, in some applications, satellite data may be used instead of UAV data, with all the associated benefits (extended coverage without the need to visit the area). In this study, Sentinel-2 time series data performances were evaluated in comparison with high-resolution UAV-based data, in an area affected by a fire, in 2017. Given the 10-m resolution of Sentinel-2 images, different spatial resolutions of the UAV-based data (0.25, 5 and 10 m) were used and compared to determine their similarities. The achieved results demonstrate the effectiveness of satellite data for post-fire monitoring, even at a local scale, as more cost-effective than UAV data. The Sentinel-2 results present a similar behavior to the UAV-based data for assessing burned areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue GI for Disaster Management)
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18 pages, 5041 KiB  
Article
Recent Sea Level Change in the Black Sea from Satellite Altimetry and Tide Gauge Observations
by Nevin Betül Avşar and Şenol Hakan Kutoğlu
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2020, 9(3), 185; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi9030185 - 24 Mar 2020
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 6748
Abstract
Global mean sea level has been rising at an increasing rate, especially since the early 19th century in response to ocean thermal expansion and ice sheet melting. The possible consequences of sea level rise pose a significant threat to coastal cities, inhabitants, infrastructure, [...] Read more.
Global mean sea level has been rising at an increasing rate, especially since the early 19th century in response to ocean thermal expansion and ice sheet melting. The possible consequences of sea level rise pose a significant threat to coastal cities, inhabitants, infrastructure, wetlands, ecosystems, and beaches. Sea level changes are not geographically uniform. This study focuses on present-day sea level changes in the Black Sea using satellite altimetry and tide gauge data. The multi-mission gridded satellite altimetry data from January 1993 to May 2017 indicated a mean rate of sea level rise of 2.5 ± 0.5 mm/year over the entire Black Sea. However, when considering the dominant cycles of the Black Sea level time series, an apparent (significant) variation was seen until 2014, and the rise in the mean sea level has been estimated at about 3.2 ± 0.6 mm/year. Coastal sea level, which was assessed using the available data from 12 tide gauge stations, has generally risen (except for the Bourgas Station). For instance, from the western coast to the southern coast of the Black Sea, in Constantza, Sevastopol, Tuapse, Batumi, Trabzon, Amasra, Sile, and Igneada, the relative rise was 3.02, 1.56, 2.92, 3.52, 2.33, 3.43, 5.03, and 6.94 mm/year, respectively, for varying periods over 1922–2014. The highest and lowest rises in the mean level of the Black Sea were in Poti (7.01 mm/year) and in Varna (1.53 mm/year), respectively. Measurements from six Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) stations, which are very close to the tide gauges, also suggest that there were significant vertical land movements at some tide gauge locations. This study confirmed that according to the obtained average annual phase value of sea level observations, seasonal sea level variations in the Black Sea reach their maximum annual amplitude in May–June. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue GI for Disaster Management)
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20 pages, 3845 KiB  
Article
Cartographic Symbology for Crisis Mapping: A Comparative Study
by Ana Kuveždić Divjak, Almin Đapo and Boško Pribičević
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2020, 9(3), 142; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi9030142 - 28 Feb 2020
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 14302
Abstract
Cartographic symbols on crisis maps serve as means of depicting information about the position, properties, and/or numerical values of objects, phenomena or actions specific to crisis mapping. Many crisis cartographic visualisations require simple, clear, categorised and visually organised symbols that can be easily [...] Read more.
Cartographic symbols on crisis maps serve as means of depicting information about the position, properties, and/or numerical values of objects, phenomena or actions specific to crisis mapping. Many crisis cartographic visualisations require simple, clear, categorised and visually organised symbols that can be easily read and understood by a wide range of crisis map users. Cartographic symbol sets for crisis mapping depend on effective graphic design, good availability (sharing and promotion, dissemination and promulgation) and standardisation (ensuring the general and repeatable use of map symbols). In this research, our aim was to examine the extent of these challenges in current cartographic symbology for crisis mapping. Through a comparative study of prominent symbol sets, we analysed efforts invested so far and proposed future directions. The results of this study may be of assistance in understanding less unified or coherent symbologies currently in use, or in revising or amplifying existing sets for future publication. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue GI for Disaster Management)
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25 pages, 18237 KiB  
Article
Use of Mamdani Fuzzy Algorithm for Multi-Hazard Susceptibility Assessment in a Developing Urban Settlement (Mamak, Ankara, Turkey)
by Tugce Yanar, Sultan Kocaman and Candan Gokceoglu
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2020, 9(2), 114; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi9020114 - 19 Feb 2020
Cited by 50 | Viewed by 6771
Abstract
Urban areas may be affected by multiple hazards, and integrated hazard susceptibility maps are needed for suitable site selection and planning. Furthermore, geological–geotechnical parameters, construction costs, and the spatial distribution of existing infrastructure should be taken into account for this purpose. Up-to-date land-use [...] Read more.
Urban areas may be affected by multiple hazards, and integrated hazard susceptibility maps are needed for suitable site selection and planning. Furthermore, geological–geotechnical parameters, construction costs, and the spatial distribution of existing infrastructure should be taken into account for this purpose. Up-to-date land-use and land-cover (LULC) maps, as well as natural hazard susceptibility maps, can be frequently obtained from high-resolution satellite sensors. In this study, an integrated hazard susceptibility assessment was performed for a developing urban settlement (Mamak District of Ankara City, Turkey) considering landslide and flood potential. The flood susceptibility map of Ankara City was produced in a previous study using modified analytical hierarchical process (M-AHP) approach. The landslide susceptibility map was produced using the logistic regression technique in this study. Sentinel-2 images were employed for generating LULC data with the random forest classification method. Topographical derivatives obtained from a high-resolution digital elevation model and lithological parameters were employed for the production of landslide susceptibility maps. For the integrated hazard susceptibility assessment, the Mamdani fuzzy algorithm was considered, and the results are discussed in the present study. The results demonstrate that multi-hazard susceptibility assessment maps for urban planning can be obtained by combining a set of expert-based and ensemble learning methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue GI for Disaster Management)
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22 pages, 14169 KiB  
Article
Mapping Impact of Tidal Flooding on Solar Salt Farming in Northern Java using a Hydrodynamic Model
by Anang Widhi Nirwansyah and Boris Braun
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2019, 8(10), 451; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi8100451 - 12 Oct 2019
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4798
Abstract
The number of tidal flood events has been increasing in Indonesia in the last decade, especially along the north coast of Java. Hydrodynamic models in combination with Geographic Information System applications are used to assess the impact of high tide events upon the [...] Read more.
The number of tidal flood events has been increasing in Indonesia in the last decade, especially along the north coast of Java. Hydrodynamic models in combination with Geographic Information System applications are used to assess the impact of high tide events upon the salt production in Cirebon, West Java. Two major flood events in June 2016 and May 2018 were selected for the simulation within inputs of tidal height records, national seamless digital elevation dataset of Indonesia (DEMNAS), Indonesian gridded national bathymetry (BATNAS), and wind data from OGIMET. We used a finite method on MIKE 21 to determine peak water levels, and validation for the velocity component using TPXO9 and Tidal Model Driver (TMD). The benchmark of the inundation is taken from the maximum water level of the simulation. This study utilized ArcGIS for the spatial analysis of tidal flood distribution upon solar salt production area, particularly where the tides are dominated by local factors. The results indicated that during the peak events in June 2016 and May 2018, about 83% to 84% of salt ponds were being inundated, respectively. The accurate identification of flooded areas also provided valuable information for tidal flood assessment of marginal agriculture in data-scarce region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue GI for Disaster Management)
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Review

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23 pages, 3952 KiB  
Review
UAV-Based Structural Damage Mapping: A Review
by Norman Kerle, Francesco Nex, Markus Gerke, Diogo Duarte and Anand Vetrivel
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2020, 9(1), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi9010014 - 26 Dec 2019
Cited by 127 | Viewed by 12907
Abstract
Structural disaster damage detection and characterization is one of the oldest remote sensing challenges, and the utility of virtually every type of active and passive sensor deployed on various air- and spaceborne platforms has been assessed. The proliferation and growing sophistication of unmanned [...] Read more.
Structural disaster damage detection and characterization is one of the oldest remote sensing challenges, and the utility of virtually every type of active and passive sensor deployed on various air- and spaceborne platforms has been assessed. The proliferation and growing sophistication of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in recent years has opened up many new opportunities for damage mapping, due to the high spatial resolution, the resulting stereo images and derivatives, and the flexibility of the platform. This study provides a comprehensive review of how UAV-based damage mapping has evolved from providing simple descriptive overviews of a disaster science, to more sophisticated texture and segmentation-based approaches, and finally to studies using advanced deep learning approaches, as well as multi-temporal and multi-perspective imagery to provide comprehensive damage descriptions. The paper further reviews studies on the utility of the developed mapping strategies and image processing pipelines for first responders, focusing especially on outcomes of two recent European research projects, RECONASS (Reconstruction and Recovery Planning: Rapid and Continuously Updated Construction Damage, and Related Needs Assessment) and INACHUS (Technological and Methodological Solutions for Integrated Wide Area Situation Awareness and Survivor Localization to Support Search and Rescue Teams). Finally, recent and emerging developments are reviewed, such as recent improvements in machine learning, increasing mapping autonomy, damage mapping in interior, GPS-denied environments, the utility of UAVs for infrastructure mapping and maintenance, as well as the emergence of UAVs with robotic abilities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue GI for Disaster Management)
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