ISPRS Workshop on Service and Application of Spatial Data Infrastructure, XXXVI (4/W6), Oct. 14-16, Hangzhou, China
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need reliable and up-to-date spatial data for proper disaster
response. Road networks, buildings, hospitals, fire stations,
medical emergency stations, utility networks, damaged areas,
closed roads, permit controls, burning areas, and damaged
facilities and their associated attribute data are some examples
of required datasets for disaster response. Some of these
datasets need to be collected and kept up-to-date before the
occurrence of a disaster (such as topographic maps, urban base
maps and utility network maps) and some parts of datasets need
to be regularly collected and updated after the occurrence of a
disaster in aftermath of emergency situations (such as damaged
areas, closed roads and burning areas).
However, because of the variety of required datasets for disaster
response, no individual organization can collect and keep up-to-
date all of its required spatial datasets before and particularly
after occurrence of disasters. Also, just one organization (being
assigned as responsible for data collection) cannot collect and
update all of the required datasets for all involved organizations.
Therefore, collecting and updating datasets for disaster response
should be done jointly, through a collaborative effort and
partnership of organizations in spatial data
collection/production and sharing.
Organizations involved in disaster management community are
the main stakeholders for producing, updating and maintaining
required spatial datasets for disaster response. If each of the
involved organizations collects some part of the required spatial
datasets for disaster response (relevant to its tasks) during
everyday business and disaster response, required spatial
datasets can always be available to decision-makers. If this data
is shared and exchanged, then datasets are accessible to the
wider disaster management community.
Although a collaborative effort for spatial data collection and
sharing can resolve the problem with collection, access and
dissemination of required spatial data for disaster response,
however, different researches on collaborative efforts for data
collection and sharing (Rajabifard and Williamson 2003;
McDougall et al. 2002; Nedovic-Budic and Pinto 1999) show
that there are different technical, institutional, political, and
social issues that create barriers for such participation to occur.
With this in mind, by creating an environment in which such
issues are taken into consideration and resolved and
consequently the access of decision-makers to spatial data is
facilitated, the concept of partnership in data production and
sharing can become a reality. In this respect, Spatial Data
Infrastructure (SDI), as an initiative in spatial data management
with related concepts and models, can be used as a framework
for creating such an environment and consequently, facilitating
disaster response.
3. SDI AND ITS ROLE IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT
The need to spatial data in different applications particularly for
knowledge-based sustainable development on one side and
various problems with production, dissemination, access and
usage of these kind of data on the other side have resulted
Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) initiatives around the world.
SDI can be defined as initiative intent to create an environment
in which all stakeholders can cooperate with each other and
interact with technology to better achieve their objectives at
different political/administrative levels (Chan et al. 2001). SDI
is fundamentally about facilitation and coordination of the
exchange and sharing of spatial data between stakeholders in
the spatial data community.
SDI initiatives have evolved in response to the need for
cooperation between users and producers of spatial data to
nurture the means and environment for spatial data sharing and
development (Coleman and McLaughlin, 1998).
An SDI encompasses the policies, access networks and data
handling facilities (based on the available technologies),
standards, and human resources necessary for the effective
collection, management, access, delivery and utilization of
spatial data for a specific jurisdiction or community (Rajabifard
et al 2002). Based on these components, Figure 1 illustrates a
basic SDI model. As the model shows (Figure 1), appropriate
accessing network, policies and standards (which are known as
technological components) are required for facilitating the
relation between people (data providers, value-adders and
decision-makers in disaster management community) and data.
Dynamic
Figure 1. SDI Components (Rajabifard et. al 2002)
By clarifying each of these core components, an SDI conceptual
model can be developed which can contribute to facilitating the
availability, access and usage of spatial data (Davies, 2003 and
Mansourian, 2005).
With respect to above description, by clarifying and expanding
SDI core components with respect to disaster management
requirements, an SDI conceptual model can be developed for
resolving current problems with spatial data during disaster
management.
Considering Geographical Information System (GIS) as
underpinning technology for SDI and its role in facilitating data
collection and storage as well as facilitating decision-making
based on spatial data processing and analysis, GIS is a good
tool for improving decision-making for disaster management. In
this respect, a web-based GIS can be a good tool for facilitating
disaster management due to need to high interaction between
decision-makers in disaster management community,
particularly during disaster response.
Therefore, a web-based GIS using SDI can facilitate disaster
management by providing a better way of spatial data collection,
access, management and usage.
4. CASE STUDY
In order to investigate the role of SDI and web-based GIS in
facilitating and improving disaster management, a case study
was conducted in Iran. Two main outputs of this case study
were development of an SDI conceptual model and web-based
GIS for disaster management.
Main steps of this research included:
