Chapter 4.8 describes the following about geographic information systems (GIS):
- The basics of GIS.
- The role of geospatial analysis in disaster health.
- The use and challenges of GIS in Health EDRM.
What is this chapter about?
Collecting and understanding location-based information is a challenge in Health EDRM. However, such information can help decision-makers to better understand relationships, patterns and trends of various components in a social-ecological system.
This chapter introduces the general concept of geographic information systems (GIS), beginning with how, in 1854, John Snow mapped the locations of water pumps and the homes of people who died of cholera to end a cholera outbreak in the Soho district of London, UK. It outlines current applications of GIS in disaster health, the use of and challenges associated with GIS in Health EDRM, and future developments.
Case studies presented in the chapter:
- Mapping of health vulnerability and disaster risk in 147 countries.
- Transmission of Chikungunya fever in Columbia.
- Health risk distribution during high temperature disasters.
- GIS for population-wide health monitoring in Germany.
What are the key messages of this chapter?
- A main strength of GIS lies in its powerful ability to combine, analyse and display spatial and attribute data.
- This will help to satisfy the need for large-scale data analysis and processing in disaster response planning and improve Health EDRM.
