Geographic Information Systems

Over the past decade, the number of humanitarian organizations that embrace geospatial technologies has grown exponentially. However, most of this growth has been cartographic in nature, and only a few humanitarian organizations are exploiting the analytical potential of GIS: most simply make maps or visualize data using Google Earth. This book presents the findings of an unprecedented global survey of humanitarian decision makers in governments, donor agencies, the UN, academia and non-governmental organizations, and reveals the true potential for GIS to impact humanitarian operations around the world.