Identifying Elements At Risk From OpenStreetMap: The Case of Flooding

Schelhorn, S. -J., Herfort, B., Leiner, R., Zipf, A. and De Albuquerque, J. P. (2014) Identifying Elements At Risk From OpenStreetMap: The Case of Flooding. In: ISCRAM 2014 Conference Proceedings, 01 May 2014, pp. 508-512. ISBN 9780692211946

Abstract

The identification of elements at risk is an essential part in hazard risk assessment. Especially for recurring natural hazards like floods, an updated database with information about elements exposed to such hazards is fundamental to support crisis preparedness and response activities. However, acquiring and maintaining an up-to-date database with elements at risk requires both detailed local and hazard-specific knowledge, being often a challenge for local communities and risk management bodies. We present a new approach for leveraging Volunteered Geographic Information to identify elements at risk from the free and open-source mapping project OpenStreetMap. We present initial results from a case study in the city of Cologne, Germany, to validate our approach in the case of flood-hazard. Our results show that the identification of elements at flood risk from OpenStreetMap is a suitable and cost-effective alternative for supporting local governments and communities in risk assessment and emergency planning.

• Item Type: Conference Proceedings
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Porto de Albuquerque, Professor Joao
• Authors: Schelhorn, S. -J., Herfort, B., Leiner, R., Zipf, A., and De Albuquerque, J. P.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Urban Studies
• Journal Name: ISCRAM 2014 Conference Proceedings - 11th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management
• ISBN: 9780692211946

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