The earth is a complex and rapidly changing place: Population growth and urbanization, resource use as well as environmental degradation affect our daily lives and enhance disaster risk. The Geomatics for Environment and Development Program (GED) of the Manila Observatory analyzes disaster risks as the compounding effects of hazards, exposure and vulnerabilities. The program applies remote sensing and geographic information systems (RS-GIS) in order to map and visualize social and environmental information that can represent both existing and future exposure and vulnerabilities. When combined with hazard analysis, visualization enables a deeper contextual understanding of the nature and dynamics of risks and can provide critical information towards the achievement of human and resource security (i.e. water, food, energy and health), inclusive growth, disaster resilience and sustainable development.
Among the research thrusts and mapping themes of GED are the following:
- Environment, development and resiliency,
- Disaster risks as a function of hazard, exposure and vulnerabilities
- Climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction and management (CCA-DRRM)
- Rapid emergency observation (EO) during disasters.
The program’s strategic goals are then to:
- Pursue frontier remote sensing-geographic information systems (RS-GIS) applications towards enhanced policy and decision-making
- Develop spatial tools that help foster human and resource security (i.e. water, food, energy and health), inclusive growth, resiliency and sustainability
- Help mainstream evidence-based CCA-DRRM options into strategic planning, governance and development
- Structure, manage, visualize and disseminate spatio-temporal data, information, knowledge and insights
- Methodically generate and develop spatial databases and maps as instruments for policy and decision-support