TITLE:
Mapping the Flood Risk Exposure Using Open-Source Geospatial Tools and Techniques: A Case of Gampaha Divisional Secretariat Division, Sri Lanka
AUTHORS:
Sundaralingam Suthakaran, Sauri Jayakody, Shyamantha Subasinghe, Nileesha Seneviratne, Ranjith Alahakoon
KEYWORDS:
Spatial Data, Disaster Management, Exposure Mapping, Open-Source Software
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.10 No.10,
October
18,
2022
ABSTRACT: The use of open-source data and tools in disaster exposure mapping is
presented in this paper. Disaster exposure is a collection of the element at
risk to potential loss. Gampaha divisional secretariat (DS) is a study area
laid on the lower part of the Attanagalu Oya river basin. As the geospatial
tools, OpenStreetMap (OSM), Java OpenStreetMap (JOSM), QGIS, GPS Essentials,
and Open Map Kit (OMK) are used. The elements of disaster exposure, including
the number of people or types of assets, are surveyed and inventoried using the
OSM platforms. Local, national, and international agencies produce and evaluate
the data. The study developed spatial data for building footprints of 165,000
households, street lengths of 2300 km, hospital units of 16, and utility units
of 2300. This could overcome the main challenges of exposure mapping in the
area. The procedure developed in the exposure mapping can be used in a
data-sparse environment. Exposure mapping is generally used to estimate the
impact of hazards or disasters, which are essential in effective disaster
management. How are there still remaining challenges in disaster exposure
mapping such as less awareness about the mapping procedure, lack of government
support, internet access, hardware, and inability to understand the value of
exposure mapping?