An assessment of geo-information use during the 2005 Kashmir earthquake response and recommendations to improve future use

The destructive effects of disasters on vulnerable populations will continue to increase as global inhabitants grow in numbers and occupy marginal, often hazard-prone areas. Recent experience has shown that there is a gap between available Geographic Information System technologies and geoinformation management tools and their employment during disaster response operations. The goal of this paper is to examine and critique the use of geoinformation and related technologies in the Kashmir earthquake of October 2005, discuss what researchers have done to address this topic and make recommendations for improving future geo-information accessibility. This paper draws on observations from the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and available literature to examine impediments to operational geo-information management and utilisation during that relief effort. The paper concludes with recommendations on how to increase the accessibility of geo-information to a diverse group of users and better manage geo-information during future disaster response efforts.