A review on hazard risk assessment using remote sensing and GIS

All over the world, disasters are on the increase. Disasters result from the interaction between hazards and elements at risk exposed to potential phenomenon leading to vulnerability. Therefore, it is necessary that risk assessment is carried out using the latest means like remote sensing and GIS to undertake preventive, mitigation, or risk reduction measures. The paper starts with a reflection on basic definitions mostly derived from UNISDR 2009 and develops the rudimentary understanding required for building on the subject. Risk assessment is data intensive activity, so the latest trends and sources for data acquisition or extraction are identified. It is also important to establish frameworks like disaster risk management, risk analysis, and risk assessment before dwelling on the paper's main part relating to the risk assessment process. In the risk assessment process, three components, namely hazards, elements at risk, and vulnerability, are focused in detail highlighting their 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. In the end, multi-hazard risk assessment is focused on shown through an integrated process using GIS.