Supporting Timely Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief (HA/DR) Decisions Through Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Tools.

摘要

Geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) evolved rapidly after the mid-1990s because of advances in technology. Joint doctrine attempted to respond to the advances in technology and the growing power of geographical information system (GIS) tools. However, the doctrine changes did not address the planning requirements for GIS. Planners need guidance of what to specify for the GIS analyst to exploit GEOINT. Exploiting GEOINT supports timely and accurate decision-making across the range of military operations. To determine specific guidance for planners, the research first needed to identify common operational decisions that require GEOINT support. Faced with a large number of operational missions, the research narrowed to Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief (HA/DR). The research further narrowed to HA/DR operations that respond to natural disasters, specifically earthquakes, which drive complex environments. Key concepts of John Boyd helped conceptualize an approach to model time-critical decisions muddled by complexity. The research examined a specific earthquake event to determine the linkages between GEOINT support, timely decision-making, and human suffering. The 7.0-magnitude 2010 Haiti earthquake case study revealed the common operational decisions that require GEOINT support to aid survivors in the immediate aftermath. Haiti also identified factors that delayed HA/DR decision-making. However, Haiti s observations did not fully validate HA/DR requirements. Further validation required the comparison to a hypothetical disaster scenario that could require GEOINT support in future HA/DR operations. The selected scenario focused on a great earthquake affecting Juba, South Sudan.