Satellite remote sensing as a tool in disaster management and sustainable development: towards a synergistic approach

Disasters have become an issue of growing concern throughout the world, whether it is natural hazards or through human factors. The frequency, as well as magnitude, of disasters threatening large population living in diverse environments is increasing in recent years across the world. These disasters also have far-reaching implications on sustainable development through social, economic and environmental impacts. It is highly imperative to develop effective tools for disaster management. Remote sensing systems have been playing a great role in disaster management in such areas as flooding, cyclones, drought, earthquake and tsunami. Satellite remote sensing is largely adopted due to its cost effectiveness, short temporal orbiting and large area of coverage. Remote sensing technologies have been used in disaster management especially during the preparedness/warning and response/monitoring stages. Despite the capabilities of remote sensing technologies in natural and human disaster management, there are still some limitations in its deployment due to the divide between developed and developing countries, data accessibility (especially high resolution imagery) and technological limitations. This paper examines the recent developments in the application of remote sensing in disaster management such as the proliferation of data through unprecedented sources (Google Earth, crowdsourcing, Global Land Cover) and improvement in data resolutions and integration of technologies. It examines how recent developments can help in overcoming the limitations of using remotely sensed data in disaster management. There is a need for more collaborative and interdisciplinary frameworks to fully utilize the capabilities of remote sensing in hazard and disaster management. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.