An emergency becomes a disaster when it exceeds the capability of the local resources to manage it. With ever increasing population and housing densities, the world continues to experience ever increasing danger and damages from natural and manmade disasters. Deaths, injuries, and loss of property will increase around the world due to disasters, unless changes are made in the manner we respond to disasters. Effective disaster management and response demand rapid utilization of information and data from many sources. Visualization and spatial applications are critical during pre and post-disaster management and response. The ability to seamlessly integrate and distribute digital data into spatially explicit forms for situation /rapid assessment and analysis during and after a disaster remains a challenge.

To meet this challenge UNOSAT is offering a course on integrated approach on how info management and sharing is enhanced by use of GIS tools in disaster situations. GIS database can be accessed for damage assessment or to locate critical infrastructure. Since there will always be a disaster and to give an overview of the situation it becomes important for disaster managers to get equipped with these basic tools. On completion of the course, students will be able to critically analyse the prerequisites and challenges for effective situation/rapid maps and preliminary damage analysis. This could include identifying, collecting, preparing, analysing and creating maps which will match the needs arising from anticipated future disasters.