Building Self‐reliance in GIS‐based Risk Mapping in the Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs): Approaches and Lessons Learnt Gabrielle Thongs MSc, Jacob Opadeyi, PhD, and Melanie Harris. UWI, St Augustine & Lavern Rogers-Ryan Physical Planning Department, Montserrat
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The Caribbean’s Vulnerability • The Caribbean region is vulnerable to a number of natural disasters. • The diversity of this region’s spatial location, population density and distribution, geology, topography and climate have resulted in elevated vulnerability levels to hurricanes, floods, droughts, earthquakes, tsunamis, and landslides. • The impacts of each these natural disasters events have resulted in the decrease of economic growth and injury or death of citizens of the Caribbean.
The Caribbean’s Vulnerability • As the complexity, frequency, and severity of these disasters gradually increase, there is a growing realization that it is insufficient to address the risk solely in the response and recovery phases. • The momentum for change was spurred largely by the cost of disasters of the last decade. • Being able to analyse, and anticipate the effects of disasters through modelling is a key component in reducing susceptibility.
Basic Points GIS & Disaster Management • GIS technology provides a robust approach to hazard mapping, vulnerability assessment and risk mapping through the integration of data, models and local knowledge. • The technical know‐how in the design, development and use of GIS technology is yet not readily available to disaster managers in the British and Dutch Caribbean Overseas territories (COTs). • Through the R3i projects, a concerted effort was made to ensure that GIS capacity building and enhancement is a concrete outcome of the project
Learning by Doing Approach – R3i Model • In order to achieve this outcome, an innovative teaching approach of learning‐by‐doing was developed. • A mix of in‐country and regional learning modules were designed and delivered to the disaster managers. • Learning was put into practice by actual projects designed to build self‐reliance.
Capacity Building Goals • Increased capacity in hazard mapping and associated vulnerability assessments, to further be incorporated into spatial information systems to inform planning and development processes • Local capacities to develop and implement mitigation strategies be strengthened through the provision of tools (spatial data infrastructure and models) and best practices to support comprehensive disaster risk management.
Capacity Building Goals • To provide relevant national agencies with responsibilities for disaster risk management (preparation, mitigation, response and recovery) with risk information tools and data (hazard maps and vulnerability assessments) and a GIS framework for use in their daily work, and develop their capacity to manage risk information data
The Approaches Learning by doing
Multi‐agency, multi‐ discplinary
Regional and country level training
Country‐specific examples and exercises
The Pathway
Needs assessment
Acquisition of tools and data
Design and delivery of training workshops
Application of training skills
Results from Hazard Identification & Prioritization Workshop
Results from Hazard Identification & Prioritization Workshop
Results from Hazard Identification & Prioritization Workshop
Data Required to Build the Hazard Model Data Required to Build the Hazard Model Hazard
Data required to Build Model
Roads Rivers Flood past occurrence data Soils Land Cover Flood Rainfall Flow Rate Rainfall Intensity & Velocity Cross section survey of rivers 3d topographical survey of flood plains High resolution digital elevation models Roads Rivers Sea Level Rise Bathymetry Tidal data High resolution DEM
Available √ √ √ x x x x x x x √ √ x x x
Data Required to Build the Hazard Model Hazard
Tsunamis
Storm Surge
Data required to Build Model Roads Rivers Bathymetry Tidal data High resolution DEM Roads Rivers Bathymetry Tidal data High resolution DEM
Available √ √ x x x √ √ x x x
1. Introduction to GIS concepts and applications in hazard mapping and vulnerability assessment
5. Building GIS Applications in SUpport of DIsaster Risk Management
4. Feature extraction from satellite imagery
Self‐reliance in GIS‐based Risk Mapping
2. Field data collection using integrated GPS/GIS systems
3. Editing and managing spatial data 15
Introduction to GIS Concepts and its Applications in Hazard Mapping
Participants – 20 participants 9 islands Learning Outcomes • To expose participants to the use of GIS concepts and application in Disaster Risk Management. • To explore how GIS applications are built in support of landslide/flood risk modelling. • To provide participants with an appreciation of resources required and challenges in the use of geoinformatics in support of hazard mapping and vulnerability assessment.
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Regional Training Workshop 2: Field Data Collection Using Integrated GPS/GIS system
• Participants ‐ Twenty‐two (22) participants from ten (10) islands Learning Outcome • To expose participants to the use of GPS/GIS equipment • To explore how participants how to use GPS/GIS for rapid field data collection on critical facilities • To provide participants with an appreciation of how to use GPS/GIS for incident mapping.
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Regional Training Workshop 3: Editing and managing spatial data Twenty‐five (25) participants from ten (10) islands • Learning Outcome • To expose participants to the use of GIS systems • To explore how to use GIS for building, managing and editing spatial data • To provide participants with an appreciation of how to use GIS for hazard mapping
Workshop Output:
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Regional Training Workshop 4: Features Extraction from Satellite Images • Twenty‐five (25) participants from ten (10) islands Learning Outcome • Understand the electromagnetic spectrum, and how it applies to remote sensing. • Interpret the basic features and characteristics of earth surfaces on satellite imagery. • Know how to extract and interpret information from remotely sensed data.
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Workshop Output
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Emergency Management and Response Planning Using GIS/GPS
At the end of the training, participants were able to: • Use Microsoft Access to build an Incidents‐ oriented database • Use ArcCatalog and ArcPad to link the Access database to a Juno mobile unit • Use Juno to map incidents • Use ALOHA to evaluate calculate the evacuation zone necessary for an incident • Use Network Analysis to compute the best evacuation route from an incident.
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Workshop 5B: Coastal Risk Assessment Learning Outcomes • Use Microsoft Access to build an Incidents‐oriented database • Use ArcCatalog and ArcPad to link the Access database to a Juno mobile unit • Use Juno to map incidents • Identify vulnerable population • Identify susceptible coastal zones • Use ALOHA to evaluate calculate the evacuation zone necessary for an incident • Use Network Analysis to compute the best evacuation route and shelter from an incident.
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The Challenges • The design and delivery of training workshops in a multi‐ island environment poses the following challenges: • Availability of adequate training facilities and equipment in each island • Coping with learners with varying levels of skills • Identifying local knowledge champions who may be considered as a trainer to be used to propagate the knowledge transferred in their respective island. • The ability of participants to use the knowledge gained immediately after the training • The logistic night mare of organising regional workshops
Conclusion • In terms of reach, the R3i project was able to enhance the capacity of several persons from the participating states who on their own may not be able to have access to the training workshops offered.
Acknowledgement