Living Planet Symposium Tutorial: Using UN-SPIDER Recommended Practices and Digital Twin for Effective Flood Hazard Depiction

Mapping for Disaster Risk Management: Using UN-SPIDER Recommended Practices and Digital Twin for Effective Flood Hazard Depiction

Effective flood mapping and modeling are crucial for disaster risk management, enabling authorities and communities to better prepare for and respond to extreme weather events. The SPEAR Project, by the Center for Remote Sensing of Land Surfaces (ZFL) at the University of Bonn and UN-SPIDER, works to support disaster risk management activities through innovative Earth Observation methods, with a regional focus on the African continent.

A key component of this initiative is the development of step-by-step mapping guides by UN-SPIDER, called “Recommended Practices” (RPs). These procedures, available through the UN-SPIDER knowledge portal, provide guidance on creating information products, such as flood maps. The RPs are continually refined through ongoing research and are designed to guide users—regardless of their experience with GIS and remote sensing—on how to map pre- or post-disaster scenarios.

The latest activity within SPEAR focuses on Tobago and the City of Accra in Ghana, creating potential future flood extents by integrating geospatial data into a digital twin for improved modeling and visualization of the affected areas.

In this tutorial, participants will first learn how digital elevation models can be used to model storm surges using the QGIS model builder, and secondly how Google Earth Engine (GEE) is applied for mapping floods in response and recovery efforts. The first two parts are based on the Recommended Practices from the UN-SPIDER Knowledge Portal. In the third part of the tutorial, the latest project of UN-SPIDER will be introduced, which integrates showing future scenarios of flash flood and sea level rise with digital twin technology derived from AI technology. These digital representations of real-world environments hold great potential for disaster risk management, as they demonstrate in interactive 3D applications how specific areas are affected by various events.

Target audience: The audience includes professionals in disaster risk management, GIS specialists, and those involved in climate change adaptation, as well as high school and university students interested in digital twins and flood modeling. Individuals with a general interest in digital twin technology, flood modeling, and disaster response are also welcome. No prior experience with GIS or remote sensing is needed, as the session is suitable for both beginners and more advanced participants, especially from the African continent.

Technical requirements: Bringing a laptop with the latest version of QGIS installed will be helpful but is not mandatory.

Speakers:

Martin Hilljegerdes, ZFL

Josi Bregulla, ZFL

Victor Korir, ZFL

Dr. Michael Schmidt, ZFL

Jumpei Takami, UN-SPIDER

Lóránt Czárán, UN-SPIDER

Find the session page here: Programme Session - Living Planet Symposium 2025