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Geo Information in Disaster Situations
Get hands-on experience in situation mapping focussing on disaster situations. This includes effective disaster management and response through rapid utilization of information and data from many sources.
This course is a part of
On this course you will get an overview of tools available in the Geographic Information System (GIS) software for situation mapping.
Through work on a specific case study, you get hands-on experience in identifying, collecting, preparing, analysing and creating situation maps for a disaster-prone city.
To provide humanitarian professionals with the best Geo Information System (GIS) tools and satellite-based solutions, this course is offered as a collaboration between the Departments of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management and Public Health at the University of Copenhagen.
Course content
A central part of the course is the case which involves collecting information and GIS data from web sources, as well as preparing, analyzing and creating situation maps for a disaster prone city. Hands-on experience with the field data collection tools like GPS and PDA will also be part of the course. You will work with the case throughout the course.
For more details about the course, please refer to the course curriculum.
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Course directors on »Geo Information in Disaster Situations«
Emmanuel Raju
Associate Professor and Head of Studies
Cornelia Scholz
GIS Specialist
Course details for »Geo Information in Disaster Situations«
Dates and examination
Learning outcomes
During this course, you learn to critically analyse the prerequisites and challenges for effective situation analysis; carry out rapid mapping; and undertake preliminary damage assessments. You will be able to work with basic GIS tools to prepare situation maps.
On completion of the course, you will be able to:
- collect various disaster related information including GIS
- use basic GIS tools to prepare situation maps
- understand the role of Geo information in the response phase of a disaster
- do a preliminary damage assessment after a disaster based on the available spatial information
- collect GIS information from web and prepare, analyse and produce maps for a disaster situation.
Admission criteria
You must meet the following criteria to be admitted to this course:
- Hold a relevant bachelor degree or equivalent.
- Have a minimum 2 years of relevant job experience.
- Be proficient in English.
Find detailed information in the admission criteria on Master of Disaster Management.
Priority is given to enrolled students
This course is offered as an elective course in the Master of Disaster Management programme. Priority is given to students already enrolled. Once the enrolled students have been admitted to the course, the remaining seats are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Tuition fees
EU/EEA citizens
Master student: 13,500 DKK
Single course student: 21,000 DKK
Non-EU/EEA citizens
Master student: 19,250 DKK
Single course student: 25,000 DKK
More information
All course information is available in the course curriculum:Place
University of Copenhagen
City Campus
Øster Farimagsgade 5
1353 Copenhagen
Denmark
Emmanuel Raju
Associate Professor and Head of Studies
Emmanuel is the Head of Studies for Master of Disaster Management and the Director of the Copenhagen Centre for Disaster Research.
He is a researcher in understanding how complex phenomenon such as disasters intersect with (un)sustainable development processes in different contexts with varying impacts.
He is an Editor of the Disaster Prevention and Management journal and a fellow at the International Science Council.
His work contributes with critical nuances to the Sustainable Development Goals.
He is one of the founders of the North European Disaster Studies Conference which has become a global annual event that has become a prominent event in the disaster research community.
He teaches on various aspects of disasters- including global policy, theoretical approaches to understanding disasters, vulnerability and risk creation, disaster recovery and livelihoods.
Cornelia Scholz
GIS Specialist
Cornelia, originally from Austria, is a GIS specialist driven by a passion for maps and the stories they tell. Her love for exploring unknown places and leveraging open data has guided her career to a strong focus on addressing challenges at the intersection of climate change and conflict.
She has gained valuable experience working with organizations such as the Red Cross Climate Centre and IMPACT Initiatives, where she served as a mapping expert. Her work has taken her to diverse and demanding environments, including two winters in Ukraine supporting the humanitarian response to the Russia-Ukraine war, mapping remote and flood-prone areas in Timor-Leste, and contributing to drought and flood early warning data in Uganda and Ethiopia. Her experience spans scientific analysis, field data collection, data visualizations for story telling and the development of practical solutions in resource-limited settings.
In May 2025, Cornelia will begin leading the Geo Information in Disaster Situations’ course at the University of Copenhagen, where she looks forward to sharing her passion for mapping and open data in humanitarian context with the next generation of GIS practitioners.