Special Issue: Geospatial data for multiscale mapping and characterization of elements at risk

Abstract

The impact of extreme geophysical, hydrological, and meteorological events such as earthquakes and tsunamis, floods, or storms cause both enormous human and monetary losses. The NatCatSERVICE of the Munich Re's database on natural catastrophes documented from the years 2004 to 2012 7,410 loss events with 875,400 fatalities and 1.45 trillion US$ overall losses worldwide. Prospectively, the rapid urbanization observed in regions prone to natural hazards places more people at risk than ever before. Regarding the assessment of risks, numerous questions can only be answered in a meaningful, consistent and reliable way when using data that incorporate the spatial domain. In this manner, information about elements at risk needs to be spatially disaggregated and continuous and at the same time up-to-date and available in a standardised way. This is often not the case for many regions of the world. Remote sensing is an independent source of information, where data are available at various spatial and temporal scales. These reach from local to global observations of the earth's surface with a temporal resolution reaching from daily to periodical. The overall aim of this "Special Issue" is to present and inform the multi-disciplinary risk community on the latest developments, capabilities and limitations on remote sensing regarding the mapping of elements at risk on multiple spatial and temporal scales. This "Special Issue" is closely linked to the "Special Issue: Remote Sensing contributing to mapping earthquake vulnerability and effects" (to be published on the 1st of August 2013). Regarding the risk component(s) addressed, this special issue has a narrower focus, dealing solely with the mapping of the exposed elements. At the same time, the special issue clearly widens the utility for risk-related analyzes and applications by showing hazard independent concepts, data, methods, products, and applications regarding elements at risk. This is intended to address a very broad scope of researchers and stakeholders.