University of Geneva Postgraduate Programme Benefits from UNITAR-UNOSAT Expertise

26 April 2016, Geneva, Switzerland – Information management is critical for efficient planning and coordination of emergency response operations. The value of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in emergency response arises directly from the benefits of obtaining, integrating, organizing, inquiring and analyzing geographic information and databases. It is in this regard that UNITAR-UNOSAT together with the University of Geneva CERG-C partnered to offer an elective course of the Risk Management Module as part of the postgraduate programme: Specialization Certificate for the Assessment and Management of Geological and Climate Related Risk. The course was the fourth edition of the training collaboration between UNITAR-UNOSAT and the University of Geneva.

The course highlighted the applications of Geospatial Information Technology (GIT) in emergency response mapping and rapid damage assessment in disaster situations, attracting 21 disaster management professionals from various specialised institutions including Goma Volcano Observatory – Democratic Republic of Congo, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Disaster Management Center - India and Jeju Water Resources Research Center – Bangladesh. Through the partnership with universities and other education institutions, UNITAR-UNOSAT is reaching out to a broader audience, made of experienced professionals and young post-graduate students.

This was a full time face-to-face training with hands-on exercises using datasets from real case scenarios. The participants were very enthusiastic about the applications of GIT for rapid mapping in the immediate aftermath of disasters and to support damage assessment using very high resolution satellite imagery. Overall, the students felt that the trainers demonstrated expertise and were very supportive in the learning process. 81% of the participants indicated that the content was relevant to their job and 91% of the participants said that they would be able to effectively use the information acquired.

UNITAR-UNOSAT will continue its long standing collaboration with the University of Geneva in providing academic excellence. The partnership also contributes to the profile of Geneva as a global reference for the international humanitarian community.

Photos: Participants in a GIS lab exercise during one of the practical sessions that simulate the use of GIT applications for rapid response mapping in disaster situations.

UNOSAT training experts: Luca Dell’Oro, Rohini Swaminathan and Mauro Arcorace