Space Technology and Geographic Information Systems Applications in adb projects

Executing Agency
Asian Development Bank
Sector/ Subsector 
Agriculture and natural resources/Land-based natural resources management
Amount Approved
$1,000,000
Approval/Completion
27 October 2008/31 December 2011
Source
http://www.adb.org/projects/41187-012/main
ST/GIS Application
Open source GIS-based information system to store, manage, and serve the regional and 
national databases
ST/GIS Data 
Satellite imagery, buildings, transportation infrastructure, underground pipe networks, and 
power distribution network data
ST/GIS Cost
Not available
Users
Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission
GIS = geographic information systems, ST = space technology.
Context
The Pacific region is prone to natural disasters, experiencing droughts, earthquakes, floods, cyclones, 
landslides, sea surges, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. Each Pacific developing member country faces a 
different set of risks and potential losses with respect to natural disasters. This technical assistance project 
supported the development of a national and a consolidated regional GIS encompassing hazard and 
vulnerability data critical to the future development of a Pacific regional catastrophe insurance scheme, 
and the analysis of this regional data with respect to the suitability of the Pacific region for catastrophe 
insurance coverage.
Contribution of Geographic Information Systems
The project team designed and deployed a GIS-based information system to store, manage, and serve the 
regional and national databases. This system was expected to (i) act as a central repository for the regional and 
national databases, (ii) serve as a data store for running RiskScape models, (iii) publish a browser-based map 
viewer to view the GIS data online, (iv) disseminate the GIS data using various open standards for GIS data 
services, such as web map service (WMS), web feature service (WFS), or keyhole markup language (KML), 
(v) support periodic data updates from national GIS departments, and (vi) support exporting GIS data for 
extraction to other systems. GIS data was provided by the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission, 
and other data such as roads and land use were supplied by the governments or other sources. 
Results
The GIS developed proved important for governments and development partners’ decision making by 
providing information about the frequency and impact of hurricanes and earthquakes.