Challenges and perspectives of remote sensing and geotechnologies to support public policies for disaster risk reduction

ABSTRACT: We are living through a period of challenges related to the climate emergency, with unequivocal  evidence of an intensification in the magnitude and frequency of extreme events. The advance of human activities in  susceptible areas results in greater exposure to hazards, and the lack of public policies to reduce inequalities  accentuates the vulnerabilities of communities. As the socio-environmental crisis worsens, we see the ‘perfect storm’  for disasters to occur, imposing severe human and material damage on society. Recent disasters in Brazil reveal many  persistent difficulties in risk management and crisis decision-making. Recently, with continuous advances in  geosciences, spatial engineering, modelling and computing, geotechnologies have enabled support for the challenges  linked to the various phases of risk management, involving the prevention, mitigation, preparation, response and  recovery of areas affected by disasters. The aim of this session is to present the contributions of remote sensing and  new perspectives in research aimed at supporting disaster prevention, preparedness and response actions in Brazil,  with an emphasis on extreme events such as floods, mass movements, fires and droughts. Finally, the necessary  guidelines for adaptation strategies that the country must follow in order to reduce the risk of disasters and their  negative impacts will be discussed.