| 2004 
  
DATA SURVEY AND MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES 
IN CIVIL PROTECTION EMERGENCIES 
G. Mussumeci * *, U. Falchi ° A. Condorelli * 
* Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile € Ambientale, V.le A.Doria 6, 95125 Catania - (gmussume, acondor)@dica.unict.it 
? Dipartimento di Ingegneria Strutturale - Sezione di Topografia, Piazza D'Armi 09123 Cagliari - ufalchi@unica.it 
KEY WORDS: Earthquakes, Forest fire, GIS, Disaster, GPS/INS, Multispectral, Civil Protection 
ABSTRACT: 
Calamitous events cause modifications in soil morphology and damages in infrastructures. The knowledge of these modifications 
can be very useful for the Civil Protection operations. However, survey operations, even if they are supported by the most modern 
geomatic technologies, are still very difficult, if they are not impossible, because of the adverse operative conditions, like for 
examples: difficulties for moving in zones subjected to thunderstorms, or short sight conditions determined by volcanic eruptions. 
Not all of the usual surveying techniques, in these conditions, can be successfully applied. Therefore it is important to arrange 
instruments and methodologies for surveys, studied and tested for different scenarios, to front timely and effectually the need of the 
case. Among the most technologically advanced approaches, it is very important to quote /aser scanning, very effective and quick 
to evaluate the damages suffered from operas and infrastructures (buildings, bridges, road embankments, ..), and multispectral 
images' analysis, useful for the research of dispersed polluting substances owing to the spill of transported hazmat or for the 
environmental analysis related to the occur of fires or volcanic eruptions. The contribution of the techniques of aerial and terrestrial 
photogrammetry, for the definition of the new morphology caused by remarkable hydro-geological damages, is always valid. 
Besides, it is important to avoid neglecting the new potentialities of the modern robotic topographical instruments, very useful for 
the traditional approaches for the soils and buildings, and of satellite positioning, that, especially in RTK modality, can find an 
application for the positioning of helps and even to individuate a perimeter for the interested areas (for example, landslides and 
flooded surfaces). In this paper it is proposed a wide overview of scenarios and thr consequently necessity of surveying that can be 
determined after calamitous events, with a particular attention to the effects induced by seismic events and hydro-geological 
damages, forest fires and volcanic eruptions; case by case, it is suggested, on the basis of precedent experiences achieved in this 
field, the most suitable techniques of surveying and of data management. 
1. RISK EVALUATION METHODOLOGY event could make ineffective because of direct or indirect 
damage to people or buildings. The total level of exposure tends 
to increase not only in function of the number of the risky 
elements but even by the complexity and hierarchical 
importance of the functions which a particular system acts in 
the territory. 
Another important step, for the risk analysis, is the 
vulnerability evaluation that consists in the estimation of the 
propensity of people, goods or activities to be damaged or 
modified by calamitous events. In other words, vulnerability is 
an indicator that measures, on the one hand, the loss of 
efficiency of the territorial system and, on the other hand, the 
residual ability to act the typical functions of the system. 
The conclusive phase of the process, that could take place by 
different aggregation and/or confrontation techniques, leads to 
the evaluation of the total risk, meant as a loose of functional 
capability of a system (or part of a system) caused by suffered 
damages. 
In the operations of civil protection, in particular for the 
preventive evaluations of potential damage scenarios, it is usual 
procedure referring not only to deterministic approaches, 
because of the ineluctable uncertainty of inquired phenomenon 
and of the produced effects. 
The risk evaluation is carried out using an international 
standard methodology, based on different unrelated steps, 
finalised to put in evidence various territorial aspects and 
human activities that could be involved in the determination of 
risk conditions. Using this methodology (which is briefly 
reported below), a lot of experiences on territorial planning for 
risk reduction have been realized in Italy and abroad. 
The first step consists in the hazard evaluation, or rather in the 
“prevision” of localisation, magnitude and consequential 
natural effects of the calamitous event. 
The further step, or rather the exposure analysis (applied to 
territorial context characterized by a verified hazard) consists in 
the individuation of the most susceptible areas to damage by 
calamitous events, based on the presence and distribution of 
anthropic elements (population, buildings, infrasttuctural 
systems, etc.) In general, the elements exposed to risk are 
usually classified in four categories: population, buildings, 
infrastructures, goods. 
The total exposition of a territorial system could be expressed 
not only by the quantity of the damageable elements, but also 
considering the functions of the subsystems that the calamitous 
2. GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM AS A 
SUPPORT FOR CIVIL PROTECTION INTERVENTIONS 
Geographical Information System (GIS) represents an optimal 
complement for all the activities and the surveying techniques 
related to emergencies (natural and not natural) managed by 
Civil Protection. So, it looks useful to describe firstly a quick 
examination about potentiality that today are available by 
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