The Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre in India is building a ‘disaster portal' that will provide real-time estimates of drought, rainfall, crop status, earthquake monitors and other parameters. Centre director V. Prakash says it is the first time the centre is using GIS to ingest, model and disseminate disaster-related data.
The web-GIS-based portal is being built on ESRI ArcGIS Server technology with help of NIIT GIS Ltd. (ESRI India). The centre began the project by converting its data holdings - collected since 1988 using in-situ measurements, imaging and secondary data from government agencies - into a real-time geodatabase.
The next step is to develop a customised geodatabase ingest method using historical and real-time data from weather stations, earthquake seismograph stations and other disaster monitoring sources. ArcGIS modelling tools will then be used to generate empirical estimates using the centre's existing models.
The portal will embed the geodatabase in a map and imaging server software that allows scientists to model natural hazards and estimate the potential impact. Alerts will be disseminated through the web, SMS and in conventional maps and reports.
