Refugee Spatial Awareness: Evidence from Za’atari

Abstract

GIScience 2016 Short Paper Proceedings Refugee Spatial Awareness: Evidence from Za’atari Brian M. Tomaszewski 1 and Kenneth J. Tomaszewski 2 1Department of Information Sciences and Technologies, Rochester Institute of Technology, 152 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623 USA bmtski@rit.edu 2KJT Group, 6 East St, Honeoye Falls, NY 14472 USA ken@kjtgroup.com Abstract This research considers the relationship between spatial cognition and situation awareness, or “spatial awareness” in a refugee camp. Specifically, we present some of the first research on spatial awareness using empirical data collected in the Za’atari Syrian refugee camp in Jordan. Results showed clear spatial awareness differences between male and female in terms of camp infrastructure completeness. This result is likely based on the underlying cultural dynamics of the refugee population. We outline areas for future refugee spatial awareness research such as community asset mapping. A better understanding of how refugees maintain spatial awareness in camp settings can inform GIScience research aimed at (a) identifying new methodologies and educational pathways for supporting spatial awareness in long-term displacement situations, (b) refugee camp design, and (c) space/time representations to ultimately improve the lives of people that are forced to leave their homes and countries due to natural disasters or armed conflicts. 1. Introduction Forced displacement, whether by natural disasters or armed conflict, is a growing global problem. It raises important challenges for maintaining understanding of the spatial, temporal and thematic aspects of one’s circumstances, or spatial awareness (SA). Being forced to leave one’s region (such as a town or village) as well as immediate environment (neighbourhood, home), forces the displaced to obtain spatial awareness within new environments. In this paper, we begin to examine camp-scale spatial awareness for refugees. By “camp-scale”, we mean the spatial extent of a settlement specifically built to support survivors of a natural disaster or armed conflict (or both). We present some of the first empirical research on refugee spatial awareness via mental mapping evidence obtained in the Za’atari Syrian refugee camp of Jordan - one of the world's largest refugee camps, hosting an estimated 79, 900 persons of concern who are survivors of the Syrian civil war and where SA a recurring problem [1] (Figure 1). Figure 1. Location of Za’atai Syrian Refugee Camp in Jordan.