An Ultrasonic Sensor for Human Presence Detection to Assist Rescue Work in Large Buildings

When the fire brigade arrives at a burning building, it is of vital importance that people who are still inside can quickly be found. Smart buildings should be able to expose this location data to the fire brigade working in a smart city. In this paper the feasibility is researched of using ultrasonic sound sensors for human presence detection...

Resilience indicators: opportunities for including distributive justice concerns in disaster management

This paper presents a systematic review of the concept of resilience in the field of disaster management, with a focus on the use of indicators and the inclusion of social justice considerations. The literature is reviewed with reference to various definitions of resilience, the relation between concepts of resilience and vulnerability, the...

The contribution of disaster management to integrated flood risk management strategies: lessons learned from the Netherlands

An integrated flood risk management (IFRM) strategy consist of a comprehensive set of measures to reduce the risk: protective measures (to reduce the probability of a flood), and land use planning and disaster management (to reduce the consequences of a flood. In the Netherlands this is called a ‘multiple layer safety approach’, other countries...

Economic optimisation of flood risk management projects

The Netherlands has developed a flood risk management policy based on an economic rationale. After the flood disaster of 1953, when a large area of the south-western part of the country was flooded and more than 1800 people lost their lives, the so-called Delta Committee was installed, whose main purpose was to coordinate actions towards a...

Economic implications of multi-layer safety projects for flood protection

Recent experience of large-scale water disasters such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in 2011 has reminded mankind that disasters cannot be ruledout. Unprecedented low-probability events can happen even in the most well monitored areas, causing major social-economic disruption. Failing to prepare...

Disaster Managers’ Perception of Effective Visual Risk Communication for General Public

Risk communication is one of the measures that should be implemented to increase the awareness and preparedness of the general public in order to attain disaster risk reduction. Among the various forms that can be used in communication campaigns, visualizations are appropriate to disseminate information about spatial phenomena such as natural...

A multi-layered safety perspective on the tsunami disaster in Tohoku, Japan

This paper presents an assessment of the multi-layered safety system in Tohoku, Japan based on the tsunami disaster of March 2011. The performed analysis has been based on data provided by local researchers and field observations. First an overview of the tsunami behaviour along the affected coastline of Tohoku is presented, which shows clearly...

The Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami: Facts and implications for flood risk management

The Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of March 11, 2011 can be characterized as a catastrophe. It inundated over 560 km2 of land, devastating a large number of coastal communities, causing over 19,000 casualties and huge economic damage in the Tohoku region. Due to the relatively high frequency of tsunamis, the region was considered...

Models of dynamic data for emergency response: A comparative study

The first hours after a disaster happens are very chaotic and difficult but perhaps the most important for successfully fighting the consequences, saving human lives and reducing damages in private and public properties. Despite some advances, complete inventory of the information needed during the emergency response remains challenging. In the...

Selecting 3D urban visualisation models for disaster management: Fethiye tsunami inundation case

Urban 3D visualisation rarely considers integrated data visualisation in disaster management. In general, such methods should incorporate interoperable approaches and data to avoid duplicating efforts and to reduce costs. To achieve such interoperability, it is important to investigate the link between the types of potential hazards and the...

Selecting 3D urban visualisation models to support urban disaster management: A rule-based approach

Identifying and confirming information and system quality requirements for multi-agency disaster management

This paper investigates the relevance and assurance of information and system quality as requirements for information systems success during disaster management. Despite the many examples of poor information quality and poor system quality, research on the relevance and assurance of these requirements is sparse. In order to design successful...