This presentation illustrates the challenges for GIS application in disaster management project in developing countries. The GIS implementation in these studies was huge as the methodology applied required a large number of maps and database. The experience gathered are from Bogotá (pop. 7.5 Million) and Caracas (pop. 3.5 million). Unlike developed countries, the developing countries lack proper standard and the basic data required for the GIS analysis. During the study period, around 200 maps were produced and a huge database (population, buildings etc.) was processed. Mathematical simulations for earthquake and sediment disaster were incorporated in GIS. Hazard map for Earthquake was produced as shake map (with magnitude, intensity and acceleration) where as sediment disaster was evaluated by flood hazard (different return periods), landslide and steep slope failure. They were spatially linked with building, population, infrastructure database to produce the physical risk map and simulate damage estimation. To measure the different social conditions, a social vulnerability survey was conducted for 4800 households which was mapped among following indices: Knowledge, Demography, Facility, Economy and Community Organization. A final vulnerability and risk map is being evaluated using both physical and social vulnerability. These huge GIS development and database preparation has led the metropolitan government and other response agencies to use this system as a basic information system for Disaster Management. A preliminary design and analysis of Disaster Management Information System has been carried out.
I did Chemical engineering from Regional Engineering College, India. I have master’s degree (with Honors) in Environmental Systems Analysis and Monitoring from The Netherlands as well as postgraduate diploma in Planning and the Management of Watershed Basins, from International Institute of Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences (ITC), Holland. My professional field of interest is the design, conceptualization and implementation of information system (Mostly Database and Geographical Information System for integrated Environmental and Social Studies). I have managed big GIS application projects on supervisory and coordinating positions. I have an extensive experience handling operating systems, and other software (GIS, Digital Image Processing, cartography, production of multimedia, design of WEB Pages) and development of software applications (Visual Basic, VBA etc.).