Geoinformation for Disaster and Risk Management - ISPRS

The Knowledge Base provides guides on
technologies, on disaster management and on health
support. The technology guides offer background
information on satellite technology and specific
satellite missions, while the disaster management
guides provide information about policies and
procedures concerning the management of different
disaster types. Health support guides focus on the
application of space technology in disaster medicine.
The Knowledge Base is meant to supply people
involved in disaster management with basic
knowledge and background information outside
operational situations. The knowledge gained about
the application of satellite technology will then
benefit the decision making process in the event of a
disaster and especially for disaster management
policy and emergency planning. Knowledge about
technological background and about best practices is
crucial for developing mitigation and preparedness
strategies.
Given the complexity of disasters on the ground and
the organizational tasks of disaster management,
guiding information on how to apply a particular
technique has to be specific to the type of disaster
and the disaster management cycle phase (mitigation,
preparedness, relief and response, recovery and
reconstruction). Guiding information on the
application of a given space technique may also refer
to more general humanitarian aspects such as health,
critical infrastructure, humanitarian aid and security,
e.g. in case of complex emergency situations not
attributable to a specific disaster type. In order to
facilitate the search for the right information, the
Space Application Matrix is being developed. This is
an intuitive information retrieval tool which allows
combining disaster type, DM cycle phase, and
satellite technology to render relevant search results.
The Knowledge Base is complemented by a glossary
and directory of institutions whose activities are
related to disaster management and the use of space
technology.
Network provides links to the UN-SPIDER Regional
Support Offices and National Focal Points, as well as
access to an extensive contact data base.
Furthermore, a communication platform is offered to
Communities of Practice that need a joint working
space to communicate and share content among
themselves or with an open community. If for
example, a member of the disaster management
community wants to contact a UN-SPIDER National
Focal Point or Regional Support Office, they can find
contact data and information about the respective
institutions on the Knowledge Portal.
Figure 7: The Space Application Matrix
Further, UN-SPIDER provides space on the Portal to
Communities of Practice that wish to cooperate on a
certain topic related to the mandate of the
Programme. For example, the Expert Group on
Capacity Building and the UN-SPIDER Global
Thematic Partnership have set up workspaces on the
Portal where they can share documents and discuss
amongst each other the content and development of
their respective projects. The African Sub-Sahara
Flood/Disease SensorWeb Pilot Project is also
making use of this communication platform and
further communities will be supported.
Finally, About Us informs about the mandate of UN-
SPIDER, its organization and the staff. Current and
previous Newsletters and Updates can also be
downloaded from here.
It remains to be
emphasized that the
continued successful
operations of the UN-
SPIDER Knowledge
Portal is dependent
on a dynamic user
community which
provides regular
input and feedback.
After all, it is a
communication tool
and not a one-way
information platform.
Figure 8: Community of the Practice on the Knowledge Portal
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