The Indian Ocean tsunami (2004) and Hurricane Katrina (2005) reveal the coming of age of the on-line disaster response community. Due to the integration of key geospatial technologies (remote sensing - RS, geographic information systems - GIS, global positioning systems – GPS) and the Internet, on-line disaster response communities have grown. They include the traditional aspects of disaster preparedness, response, recovery, mitigation, and policy as facilitated by governmental agencies and relief response organizations. However, the contribution from the public via the Internet has changed significantly. The on-line disaster response community includes several key characteristics: the ability to donate money quickly and efficiently due to improved Internet security and reliable donation sites; a computer-savvy segment of the public that creates blogs, uploads pictures, and disseminates information – oftentimes faster than government agencies, and message boards to create interactive information exchange in seeking family members and identifying shelters. A critical and novel occurrence is the development of “people as sensors” - networks of government, NGOs, private companies, and the public - to build rapid response databases of the disaster area for various aspects of disaster relief and response using geospatial technologies. This paper examines these networks, their products, and their future potential.

https://mdpi.org/sensors/papers/s8053037.pdf

On Line Disaster Response Community: People as Sensors of High Magnitude Disasters Using Internet GIS

. In Europe, river floods have been increasing in frequency and severity. These circumstances require the management of flood risk by integrating new concepts like urban resilience. Nevertheless, urban resilience seems to have no accurate meanings. That is why researchers are primarily concerned with defining resilience. Nevertheless, focus on research object seems to be more important than focus on conceptual debate (Resilience of what? Rather than what is resilience?). Thus the methodology designed here is focused on urban considerations. In fact, a system approach emphasizes technical networks' importance concerning urban resilience. Principles and assumptions applied in this research finally lead to the analysis of how urban networks are able to face natural hazards. In this context, a Web-GIS has been developed for analyzing resistance capacity, absorption capacity and recovery capacity of different technical networks. A first application has been carried out on a French agglomeration in order to analyze road network absorption capacity. This application is very specific but, thanks to this example, it is already possible to highlight the methodology's usefulness.

/pdf/analyzing-resilience-of-urban-networks-a-preliminary-step-2e606ndtar.pdf

Analyzing resilience of urban networks: a preliminary step towards more flood resilient cities

The benefits brought by the integration of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are being proved by more and more research. The integration of the two systems is difficult for many reasons. Among them, data incompatibility is the most significant, as BIM and GIS data are created, managed, analyzed, stored, and visualized in different ways in terms of coordinate systems, scope of interest, and data structures. The objective of this paper is to review the relevant research papers to (1) identify the most relevant data models used in BIM/GIS integration and understand their advantages and disadvantages; (2) consider the possibility of other data models that are available for data level integration; and (3) provide direction on the future of BIM/GIS data integration.

A Critical Review of the Integration of Geographic Information System and Building Information Modelling at the Data Level

Construction activities need space on the jobsite for their execution. Workers, equipment, materials, temporary facilities, and the developing structure share the limited jobsite space during the construction period. Multiple types of spaces for different purposes on various locations are required to execute various activities at different times. Hence, space planning helps provide a safe and productive environment. Planners mentally link two-dimensional (2D) drawings and execution schedules to generate dynamic multiple types of space requirements, which is a complex task. Therefore, researchers suggest the use of four-dimensional (4D) modeling and building information modeling (BIM) for space planning. Both simulate the construction process by linking the execution schedule with a three-dimensional (3D) model to visualize the construction sequence in space planning. However, both still lack features such as topography modeling and geospatial analysis, which affect space planning. In this work, 4D geographic information systems (GIS) were used for space planning that facilitates topographic modeling, different types of geospatial analyses, and database management. GIS was also used to generate multiple types of spaces corresponding to various activities. A feature attribute table (FAT) associated with each space describes when, where, and how long that space will be required on the jobsite. GIS-based area topology was implemented through a set of validation rules that define how working areas have to share the jobsite. A GIS-based methodology that enables space planning, time-space conflict identification, and conflict resolution prior to the construction was developed and implemented.

Use of GIS and Topology in the Identification and Resolution of Space Conflicts

Blockchain Technology (BCT) is a growing digital technology that in recent years has gained widespread traction in various industries in the public and private sectors. BCT is a decentralized ledger that records every transaction made in the network, known as a ‘block’, the body of which is comprised of encrypted data of the entire transaction history. BCT was introduced as the working mechanism that forms the operational basis of Bitcoin, the first digital cryptocurrency to gain mainstream appeal. The introduction of decentralized data exchange technology in any industry would require strengthened security, enforce accountability, and could potentially accelerate a shift in workflow dynamics from current centralized architectures to a decentralized, cooperative chain of command and affect a cultural and societal change by encouraging trust and transparency. BCT aims at creating a system that would offer a robust self-regulating, self-monitoring, and cyber-resilient data transaction operation, assuring the facilitation and protection of a truly efficient data exchange system. In the state of Florida, climate change and unpredicted weather disasters have put pressure on state and local decision-makers to adapt quick and efficient post-disaster recovery systems. Part of the recovery efforts is the reconstruction of buildings and infrastructure. The introduction of new technologies in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry can contribute to addressing recovery and rebuilding after the event of a natural disaster. With parallel technological advancement in geospatial data and Geographic Information System (GIS), as well as worsening climatic conditions, concerns can be suitably addressed by employing an integrated system of both Building Information Modeling (BIM) and BCT. While several potential applications of BIM must provide solutions to disaster-related issues, few have seen practical applications in recent years that indicate the potential benefits of such implementations. The feasibility of BIM-based applications still rests on the reliability of connectivity and cyber-security, indicating a strong use case for using BCT in conjunction with BIM for post-disaster recovery. This research depicts a survey of BCT and its applications in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industries and examines the potential incorporation within the BIM process to address post-disaster rebuilding problems. Moreover, the study investigates the potential application of BCT in improving the framework for automating the building permitting process using Smart Contract (SC) technologies and Hyperledger Fabric (HLF), as well as discussing future research areas. The study proposes a new conceptualized framework resulting from the integration of BCT and BIM processes to improve the efficiency of building permit processes in post-disaster events.

Blockchain and Building Information Modeling (BIM): Review and Applications in Post-Disaster Recovery

The purpose of this paper is to describe the use of a geographic information system (GIS) in emergency management efforts for disaster preparedness, mitigation, and response, and summarize an ongoing effort to build a GIS-based decision support system for the Douglas County Emergency Management Agency in the state of Kansas. Emergency management historically has focused on the immediate and urgent aspects of a disaster, response, and post-disaster recovery. However, there is a growing awareness that emergency management is much more complex and comprehensive than traditionally perceived. The primary function of government is to protect life and property. This involves not just crisis-reactive responses to emergencies, but also finding ways to avoid problems in the first place and preparing for those that undoubtedly will occur. The aim of this project is to build a database in a GIS frame that helps emergency management officers in decision making, focusing on Douglas County's preparedness, mitigation, an...

A. Ertug Gunes

Papers

Using GIS in Emergency Management Operations

Petrogenesis of strongly peraluminous plutonic rocks of the Eastern Sakarya Zone (Trabzon, Turkey): implications for crustal melting and evolution