ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Lessons are an important source of information for the development or improvement of GI solutions that support disaster management. Because disasters are so unique, their activities and impacts vary so widely, and the conditions created in a disaster are so chaotic, they do not lend themselves easily to conventional investigation, modeling, and analysis. Therefore, lessons derived from the experiences of disasters can provide very useful guides for development efforts. This chapter presents a series of lessons drawn initially from the response to the attack on the World Trade Center and augmented with lessons from more recent events. A review of these lessons, first promulgated much earlier, and the progress toward adoption are presented to indicate how much is yet to be done. The chapter also presents a review of recent GI developments that contribute to improvements in the areas identified in the lessons. The chapter closes with an identification of significant issues still confronting the effective use of GI in disaster management.
1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
