A review on hazard risk assessment using remote sensing and GIS

All over the World, disasters are on the increase. Disasters are result of interaction between hazards and elements at risk exposed to potential phenomenon leading to vulnerability. It is, therefore, necessary that risk assessment is carried out using latest means like remote sensing and GIS for undertaking preventive, mitigation or risk reduction measures. Paper starts with reflection on basic definitions mostly derived from UNISDR 2009 and develops rudimentary understanding required for building on the subject. Since risk assessment is data intensive activity, so latest trends and sources for data acquisition or extraction are identified. It is also important to establish the frameworks like disaster risk management, risk analysis and risk assessment before dwelling on main part of the paper relating to risk assessment process. In risk assessment process three components namely hazards, elements at risk and vulnerability are focused in detail highlighting their individual characteristics, data acquisition using remote sensing platforms globally available for the purpose and application of GIS for analysis, evaluation and visualization of risk from a particular hazard against a particular segment of society. At the end multi hazard risk assessment is focused shown through an integrated process using GIS.