Last reviewed 4 Nov 2026 · 2 min read
1. The tools
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| Remote sensing | Collects information about the Earth from satellites, aircraft and drones without contact |
| GIS (Geographic Information System) | Stores, overlays and analyses spatial data — hazard maps, population, infrastructure |
| GNSS / GPS | Accurate location of incidents, rescue teams and damage |
| Drones (UAVs) | Very high-resolution, on-demand images of affected sites |
Sensors
| Sensor | Use in disasters |
|---|---|
| Optical (visible / infrared) | Land cover, burnt areas, vegetation stress (NDVI) — needs clear skies and daylight |
| Thermal infrared | Forest-fire hot-spots, heat |
| Microwave / SAR (synthetic aperture radar) | Sees through clouds and at night — the key tool for flood mapping during monsoon and cyclones |
| Meteorological satellites (INSAT-3D/3DR) | Cyclone tracking, rainfall estimation |
2. Use across the disaster cycle
| Phase | Applications |
|---|---|
| Mitigation & preparedness | Hazard zonation (flood, landslide, seismic microzonation), vulnerability and risk maps, land-use planning, evacuation route planning, siting of shelters |
| Early warning | Cyclone track and intensity, rainfall and flood forecasting, drought monitoring, forest-fire alerts |
| Response | Rapid damage assessment maps, inundation extent, identifying cut-off villages, planning relief logistics |
| Recovery | Monitoring reconstruction, change detection, insurance and compensation assessment |