Sharing geo-information for humanitarian response and disaster management.

Timely and reliable information is essential in emergencies and disaster management. When disaster strikes - may it be natural disasters, technical disaster or conflicts – it is critical to know where, when and what happens – how many people are affected, extent of affected area, damage extent and location of available resources. Sharing geographical information through web solutions may speed up communication and facilitate coordination in a complex environment often with many different players involved and in rapid changing settings. Build on the experience of the author from the field of humanitarian response over the past 25 years the article gives an overview of the development of geo-information for humanitarian response over this period.