GIS in support of natural disaster risk analysis

Thursday, December 5th, 2024

Pearson 304 (Studio C) & on Zoom
Hosted by UD-GIS. All are welcome to attend on Zoom.

MEETING AGENDA

  • Presentation
  • UD GIS Day 2024 post event discussion
  • Round table discussion
Join via ZOOM

GIS in support of natural disaster risk analysis by Rachel Davidson, PhD

Natural disaster risk challenges are spatial and dynamic. They involve a great deal of uncertainty, include many dimensions (e.g., economic loss and human loss), and require inputs from many disciplines. As a result, GIS is critical for addressing them. In this presentation, a number of examples from past research projects will be shared to illustrate the types of spatial analyses that arise in this field. Current and future challenges will be outlined as well. Coffee Hour - Disaster Research.

Rachel Davidson, PhD, Disaster Research Center, University of Delaware

Rachel Davidson is Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for the College of Engineering, the Donald C. Phillips Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and a core faculty member in the Disaster Research Center at the University of Delaware. She is also the PI and Director of the NSF-funded Coastal Hazards, Equity, Economic prosperity, and Resilience (CHEER) Hub. Davidson conducts research on natural disaster risk modeling and civil infrastructure systems. Her work involves developing new engineering models to better characterize the impact of future natural disasters, and use that understanding to support decisions to help reduce future losses. It focuses particularly on lifelines (e.g., electric power, water supply) and risk from a regional perspective; on earthquakes and hurricanes.