Remote Sensing for Disaster Risk Management

Dear Colleagues,

There is a growing need for the assessment and reduction of disaster risk. Disasters can be generated both by natural and human activities and represent extreme environmental events that can negatively impact both human and natural systems.

Space-borne images for civil applications have been routinely acquired since the 1980s (Landsat and SPOT), while more recently, the European Union’s Copernicus project has been launched. With its seven satellite missions, the Copernicus Sentinels acquire radar and spectral images for Earth, ocean, and atmosphere observation purposes. In particular, the Copernicus project can provide remotely sensed information regarding floods, forest fires, and droughts. In general, remote sensing data from space, but also from airborne or drone platforms, can be profitably used to manage other kinds of risks, from geo-hydrological to volcanic, from seismic to anthropogenic. Remote sensing can play a key role in managing risks, leading to a new level of understanding of the complex solid Earth and ocean processes which often lead to natural or man-made disasters. In recent decades, satellite-based observations and the derived geospatial products have been successfully demonstrated to be highly valuable tools in each different phase of the risk management (forecasting, planning, emergency, and post-emergency). For example, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can facilitate risk management since they are also acquired through dense cloud cover and in both night and day conditions. This ability can help during the emergency phase. Stacks of SAR data can be used to detect subtle ground deformation induced by slow movement phenomena (e.g., slow landslides, subsidence) that can dangerously evolve, involving elements of risk. On the other hand, optical images are fundamental products to monitor land cover changes induced by several hazards (e.g., fast landslides, volcanic eruptions). These data are routinely used to map and evaluate the element at risk scattered over wide areas.

This Special Issue will collect manuscripts focused on new methodologies or applications of well-known remote sensing techniques in the field of risk management. Examples of areas covered within this research topic include, but are not restricted to, the following:

• Use of RS data to forecast, map, and monitor geo-hydrological hazards with particular regards to landslides and floods
• Use of RS data to manage the risks in areas affected by forest-fire, drought, coastal erosion, eruptive events, or earthquakes/tsunamis
• Use of RS data to manage anthropogenic risks (pollution, oil spillage, etc.)
• Use of RS data to promote the development of innovative technologies for the prevention and mitigation of geo-hydrological hazards
• Use of RS data to develop tools and procedures for supporting risk reduction policies and emergency management for the safety of human life
• Use of RS data to enhance the resilience (disaster response preparedness, building the resilience of megacities and rural communities)
• Use of RS data to promote best practices of risk mitigation in cultural heritage sites

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Remote Sensing is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• Risk management 
• Natural and anthropogenic hazards 
• Optical images 
• SAR data 
• Remote sensing techniques 
• Interferometry
• Landslides
• Volcanoes
• Earthquake 
• Floods 
• Monitoring