Construction of a support system for people requiring special care at evacuation shelters using Geographical Information System (GIS)

Recently, risks of natural disasters, such as storms and earthquakes, have increased due to climate change in various regions. In disasters, the supports for persons requiring special care have been out of proportion and retarded which may lead to secondary impairments especially among people with a disability, an intractable disease, or a chronic disease. In this study, as the solution to the problem, we constructed a system for people requiring special care to evacuation and welfare shelters by utilizing the Geographical Information System (GIS), verifying the effectiveness. The system established in this study provided the supporters with the needs of the evacuees in real-time and made disaster dispatch of Physio Therapists adjustable. The evaluation of its usability through our 2 desk exercises suggested that GIS as a supplementary aid may be useful during disaster rehabilitation support. Moreover, the usefulness of GIS as a means of communication for damage status and safety confirmation was also revealed. However, since the two exercises carried out in this study were desktop exercises, a continuous investigation is necessary.