Developing a geographic information capacity (GIC) profile for disaster risk management under United Nations framework commitments

Abstract

The capacity to utilize geographic information is a critical element of disaster risk management. Although access to and use of geographic information system (GIS) technology continues to grow, there remain significant gaps in approaches used by disaster risk management stakeholders to understand geographic information needs, sources, and information flow—ultimately limiting the efficacy of management efforts. To address this problem, we introduce the concept of geographic information capacity (GIC) to measure and analyze the ability of stakeholders to understand, access, and work with geographic information for disaster risk management. We propose a framework for assessing GIC, the GIC Profile, which we situate within a review of disaster risk management-relevant frameworks. We evaluate the GIC Profile using two case study countries at the first (sub-national) geo-administrative boundary level. Chi-square analyses suggest GIC across equivalent regional units within each country is relatively uniform, and that this uniformity is comparable between nations despite significant difference in overall capacity. Contributions of the GIC Profile to disaster risk management research are twofold. First, this is a first attempt to develop a profile based on key indicators for quantifying GIC highlights critical areas for capacity improvement, allowing decision makers to identify and prioritize pathways to strengthen disaster risk management programs. Through this initial effort, a decision tool has been developed which may enhance decisions on how to utilize GIS in support of disaster risk management. This tool is iterative and can be updated as new events occur to maximize GIS benefits, ultimately reducing disaster risks and their potential consequences.