‘Remote sensing provides better preparedness for disaster risks’

‘Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) are instrumental for development of Indian society, particularly in disaster risk reduction through mapping the vulnerabilities and promoting resilience building,’ said RB Singh, head of Geography department in DU.

Labelling remote sensing as an alternative to map out disaster-prone areas, he said: ‘Through microwave remote sensing we can know about the vulnerable areas and give preventive warning to people.’ Remote sensing is the acquisition of information about an object without making physical contact with the object. It is done through use of satellites. It helps in collecting data on dangerous or inaccessible areas. These days, it is widely used for monitoring deforestation, glacial features in various regions, ocean depths and climatic changes.

‘Data gathered from remote sensing will be helpful for micro-level village community planning under geo-spatial technology framework,’ said Singh.

Another expert said the capability of remote sensing should not be underestimated in the context of climate change in the Himalaya. ‘The recent tragedies of Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir are a result of climate change. The remote sensing has a capability to monitor the changes,’ said MR Bhutyani, director of DRDO’s Defence Terrain Research Laboratory.