Humanitarian GIS and Remote Sensing Training Course

Participants can select, transform and verify coordinate reference systems for humanitarian mapping tasks.

• Geographic coordinate systems, datums and ellipsoids used in humanitarian mapping
• Projected coordinate reference systems selected by area, purpose and distortion
• UTM zones, national grids and local projections for field operations
• Transforming layers between CRSs while preserving positional accuracy and metadata
• Distance, area and direction measurements checked against projection properties
• Coordinate reference system errors diagnosed using control points and basemaps

Participants can structure humanitarian geospatial datasets with useful attributes, identifiers and documentation.

• Vector geometry, topology rules and attribute domains for operational datasets
• Raster cells, bands, resolution and extent for earth observation products
• Feature classes designed with unique identifiers, timestamps and source fields
• Geodatabases structured for settlements, facilities, routes, boundaries and hazards
• Attribute joins, spatial joins and relates matched to operational questions
• ISO 19115 metadata elements recorded for lineage, quality and restrictions

Participants can design location-enabled assessment workflows with validation, sampling and safeguarding controls.

• Assessment questions converted into collection variables, units and validation rules
• KoboToolbox forms configured with constraints, skip logic and geolocation fields
• ODK-compatible offline collection workflows prepared for intermittent connectivity
• Sampling frames, enumeration areas and sentinel sites selected transparently
• GPS accuracy, averaging and field verification procedures documented before deployment
• Consent scripts and safeguarding controls applied to location-enabled assessments

Participants can evaluate and prepare base data for reliable humanitarian analysis and mapping.

• OpenStreetMap features assessed for completeness, currency, licensing and local validity
• Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team tasking workflows matched to mapping priorities
• Digitising buildings, roads and drainage from high-resolution imagery
• Topology validation removes gaps, overlaps, duplicates and disconnected network segments
• Administrative boundaries reconciled against authoritative sources and P-codes
• Gazetteers standardised using place names, aliases and stable identifiers

Participants can apply GIS analysis methods to access, coverage, exposure and prioritisation questions.

• Buffer, intersect, dissolve and clip operations answer proximity questions
• Travel-time surfaces model access using roads, terrain and barriers
• Network analysis identifies service catchments, route options and isolation points
• Kernel density and hotspot methods reveal incident concentration patterns
• Multi-criteria suitability models combine weighted exposure, vulnerability and capacity factors
• Spatial joins quantify affected populations within administrative and hazard boundaries

Participants can create readable, accessible maps that answer defined operational questions.

• Map purpose, audience and decision question determine product design
• Visual hierarchy directs attention through scale, symbols, labels and annotation
• Choropleth, proportional symbol and dot-density methods matched to data types
• Classification schemes compared: natural breaks, quantiles, equal intervals and thresholds
• Accessible colour palettes and redundant symbols support inclusive interpretation
• Layout templates include sources, dates, disclaimers, north arrows and scale bars

Participants can assess, document and communicate the quality limitations of spatial datasets.

• Positional, attribute, temporal and logical consistency quality dimensions assessed
• Completeness checks compare expected features, records and coverage against specifications
• Outlier detection flags implausible coordinates, dates, counts and category values
• Source reliability scored using collection method, recency, authority and corroboration
• Data cleaning logs preserve original values, corrections and decision rationale
• Quality statements communicate fitness for use and known limitations

Participants can select and interpret suitable satellite imagery for humanitarian monitoring tasks.

• Electromagnetic spectrum, reflectance and spectral signatures explain image interpretation
• Spatial, spectral, temporal and radiometric resolution evaluated for task fit
• Sentinel-2, Landsat and commercial imagery compared for humanitarian monitoring
• Cloud cover, haze, shadows and seasonal effects identified before analysis
• Image acquisition dates aligned with event timelines and baseline conditions
• Ground truth and reference samples planned for classification validation

Participants can prepare optical imagery and derive indicators for event-related change analysis.

• Atmospheric correction, mosaicking and clipping prepare optical imagery for analysis
• Band combinations highlight vegetation, water, burn scars and built-up areas
• Normalized Difference Vegetation Index calculated for crop and vegetation monitoring
• Normalized Difference Water Index identifies surface-water extent and flood residue
• Change detection compares pre-event and post-event imagery using consistent inputs
• Radiometric and geometric limitations documented before operational interpretation

Participants can classify satellite imagery and report the accuracy of resulting land-cover outputs.

• Supervised classification uses labelled samples, training polygons and separability checks
• Unsupervised clustering supports rapid exploration where reference data are limited
• Random forest classification separates land-cover classes from multispectral predictors
• Object-based image analysis groups segments by shape, texture and context
• Confusion matrices report producer accuracy, user accuracy and overall accuracy
• Post-classification filtering removes isolated pixels without obscuring critical features

Participants can interpret radar imagery and create validated flood extent products under cloud cover.

• Synthetic aperture radar backscatter interpreted for clouds, floods and surface roughness
• Sentinel-1 polarisation and incidence angle considered during flood mapping
• Speckle filtering balances noise reduction against preservation of narrow features
• Thresholding and change detection delineate inundation from pre-event radar scenes
• Permanent water, shadow and urban effects separated from flood signals
• Flood extent validated against observations, optical imagery and local reports

Participants can combine hazard evidence with population and infrastructure data to estimate impacts.

• Flood exposure analysis intersects inundation footprints with population and facilities
• Earthquake damage proxy mapping combines shaking intensity, buildings and access routes
• Wildfire burn severity interpreted using spectral indices and field observations
• Landslide susceptibility screening combines slope, geology, rainfall and land cover
• Drought indicators integrate rainfall anomalies, vegetation condition and market signals
• Hazard maps distinguish observed impact, modelled risk and uncertainty

Participants can estimate affected populations and assess accessibility to essential services.

• WorldPop, census and settlement layers compared for denominator selection
• Dasymetric mapping reallocates population using buildings, land cover and constraints
• Small-area estimates documented with assumptions, uncertainty ranges and source dates
• Displacement tracking data analysed by origin, destination, flow and time
• Service accessibility assessed using travel times, capacity and population thresholds
• Disaggregation by sex, age and disability protected through disclosure controls

Participants can publish useful operational products while controlling access and documenting reuse conditions.

• Humanitarian Data Exchange publication requirements applied to discoverable datasets
• HXL hashtags standardise crisis indicators for interoperable data exchange
• Web map layers configured with scale visibility, pop-ups and filters
• Situation dashboards connect indicators, maps, charts and update timestamps
• Data licences, attribution and terms of use recorded before release
• Access tiers protect sensitive datasets through role-based sharing arrangements

Participants can plan and manage geospatial products for coordinated humanitarian decision-making.

• Common Operational Picture products align geography, indicators, assumptions and update cycles
• 3W and 4W datasets mapped to reveal response coverage gaps
• Operational briefings distinguish confirmed findings, estimates, trends and information gaps
• Map requests triaged by decision deadline, sensitivity and analytical effort
• Version control registers dataset owners, releases, changes and approval status
• Information management plans assign products, audiences, frequencies and responsibilities

Participants can organise a rapid mapping workflow for the first days of an emergency response.

• Rapid mapping workflow sequences request intake, data acquisition, analysis and dissemination
• Minimum viable products defined for first 24, 48 and 72 hours
• Offline basemaps, field packages and backup power prepared before deployment
• Remote coordination protocols manage tasking, handover, feedback and escalation
• Security risk assessments address travel, devices, communications and data exposure
• After-action reviews capture methods, failures, decisions and reusable improvements

Participants can build, review and present a complete humanitarian geospatial analysis package for an emergency decision.

• Scenario brief translated into decisions, audiences, indicators and product requirements
• Authoritative and secondary data assembled with documented provenance and restrictions
• GIS analysis and remote-sensing evidence integrated into defensible findings
• Operational map, dashboard specification and analytical note produced from findings
• Peer review tests accuracy, usability, ethics, uncertainty and decision relevance
• Presentation defends methods, limitations, recommendations and update requirements