Training Professionals for Intelligent Disaster Response through the Use of Geo-Spatial Technologies

06 November 2015, Bangkok, Thailand – UNOSAT in collaboration with the Asian Preparedness Disaster Centre (APDC) has successfully delivered the “11th International Training on GIS for Disaster Risk Management (GIS4DRM)” that took place in Bangkok, Thailand from 26 October to 06 November 2015. The course participants included 18 professionals representing the Southeast Asia national governments and international humanitarian organizations including InterRisk Asia, the Nagaland GIS and Remote Sensing Centre of India and the Indonesian National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN).

The course responds to the training needs of the Southeast Asia countries in strengthening the technical capacities and skills of professionals working in the field of disaster management. The training has equipped them with skills to use geospatial information technologies for multi-hazard risk assessment. Through collaborations with ADPC, UNOSAT has vigorously contributed in the delivery of five editions of the training’s “Post-Disaster Impact and Damage Analysis” module with the aim of providing an overview of the use of spatial information in disaster risk management.

The course holds that scientific advancement can be utilized for better disaster risk reduction practices and emphasizes the use of spatial data during pre- and post-disaster management, such as during early warning, hazard, vulnerability and risk assessment, damage assessment, as well as in the design of risk reduction measures. Participants highlighted that 

“this was one of the best ways in which GIS applications could be taught”

“the trainers provided us with a very good summary of the concepts”. 

Based on the evaluations, 100% of the participants indicated that they would use the skills acquired from the UNOSAT sessions.

The training was carried out through UNOSAT’s regional liaison office hosted by ESCAP, Bangkok and made possible by the generous contribution of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support the capacity development activities UNOSAT is undertaking in Southeast Asia.

Photos: Course participants during the training session