GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS AS A TOOL FOR SPATIAL RISK ASSESSMENT AND SUSTAINABLE TERRITORIAL MANAGEMENT: GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS AS A TOOL FOR SPATIAL RISK ASSESSMENT AND SUSTAINABLE TERRITORIAL MANAGEMENT

Donika  Dimanova; Zdravko  Kuzmanov

doi:10.46687/jsar.v30i1.475

Authors

Donika Dimanova Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Bulgaria
Zdravko Kuzmanov Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Bulgaria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46687/jsar.v30i1.475

Keywords:

Geographic information systems, Spatial risk assessment, Risk management, Sustainable territorial management, Spatial analysis, Risk mapping, Vulnerability, Exposure, Disasters, Decision support systems

Abstract

The paper examines the application of geographic information systems (GIS) as a tool for spatial risk assessment and for supporting sustainable territorial management. The relevance of the topic stems from the growing need to analyze risk not only as a theoretical or statistical category, but also as a phenomenon with a clear spatial manifestation, related to specific territories, population, infrastructure, natural resources, and socio-economic activities. The study clarifies the relationship between the main components of risk - hazard, exposure, vulnerability, consequences, and response capacity - and the capabilities of GIS for their spatial representation and integrated analysis. Main GIS-based methods for risk assessment and risk mapping are discussed, including spatial overlay, buffer analysis, proximity analysis, terrain analysis, multi-criteria evaluation, thematic mapping, and scenario modeling. The importance of GIS as a decision support system in prevention, territorial planning, disaster management, critical infrastructure protection, and resource prioritization is emphasized. The main thesis is that geographic information systems transform risk from an abstract management category into spatially visible, measurable, and actionable information necessary for sustainable and evidence-based territorial management.

Author Biographies

Donika Dimanova, Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Bulgaria

Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Bulgaria

Zdravko Kuzmanov, Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Bulgaria

Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Bulgaria

References

Aven, Terje. Risk assessment and risk management: Review of recent advances on their foundation. European Journal of Operational Research. 2016, vol. 253, no. 1, pp. 1-13. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejor.2015.12.023. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2015.12.023.

Asgari Siahboomy, Mehdi, Hadi Sarvari, Daniel W.M. Chan, Hala NASSEREDDINE and Zhen Chen. A multi-criteria optimization study for locating industrial warehouses with the integration of BIM and GIS data. Architectural Engineering and Design Management. 2021, vol. 17, no. 5-6, pp. 478-495. DOI: 10.1080/17452007.2021.1881880. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/17452007.2021.1881880.

Burrough, Peter A., Rachael A. McDonnell and Christopher D. Lloyd. Principles of Geographical Information Systems. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015. ISBN 978-0-19-874284-5. Available from: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/principles-of-geographical-information-systems-9780198742845.

Cutter, Susan L., Bryan J. Boruff and W. Lynn Shirley. Social Vulnerability to Environmental Hazards. Social Science Quarterly. 2003, vol. 84, no. 2, pp. 242-261. DOI: 10.1111/1540-6237.8402002. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/1540-6237.8402002.

Dimanova, Donika and Zdravko Kuzmanov. Challenges, emerging trends, and future development of Real-Time GIS. Journal Scientific and Applied Research. 2025, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 107-116. DOI: 10.46687/JSAR.v29i1.460. Available from: https://doi.org/10.46687/jsar.v29i1.460.

Dimanova, Donika and Zdravko Kuzmanov. Real-time GIS for monitoring and security. Journal Scientific and Applied Research. 2024, vol. 27, no. 1. DOI: 10.46687/JSAR.v27i1.408.

Dimanova, Donika and Zdravko Kuzmanov. The use of GIS for the management of natural disasters and crisis situations. Journal Scientific and Applied Research. 2025, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 131-138. DOI: 10.46687/JSAR.v28i1.431.

Dimanova, Donika. Geographical information systems and their application in various fields. Journal Scientific and Applied Research. 2024, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 90-96. DOI: 10.46687/JSAR.v27i1.409.

Dimanova, Donika. Risk Management. Shumen: University Publishing House Konstantin Preslavski University of Shumen, 2016. ISBN 978-619-201-095-9.

ENISA Threat Landscape 2021. Heraklion: ENISA, 2021. ISBN 978-92-9204-536-4. DOI: 10.2824/324797.

Goodchild, Michael F. Citizens as sensors: The world of volunteered geography. GeoJournal. 2007, vol. 69, no. 4, pp. 211-221. DOI: 10.1007/s10708-007-9111-y. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-007-9111-y.

Prah, Klemen and Brigita Gajšek. Geographical Information System Modeling for Planning Internal Transportation in a Manufacturing Plant’s Outdoor Area. Processes. 2024, vol. 12, no. 1, article 180. DOI: 10.3390/pr12010180. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12010180.

HU, Yingjie, Song Gao, Dalton Lunga, Wenwen LI, Shawn Newsam and Budhendra Bhaduri. GeoAI at ACM SIGSPATIAL: Progress, Challenges, and Future Directions. ACM SIGSPATIAL Special. 2019, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 5-15. DOI: 10.1145/3377000.3377002.

IPCC. Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Working Group II Contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2022. Available from: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/.

ISO. ISO 31000:2018 Risk management - Guidelines. Geneva: International Organization for Standardization, 2018. Available from: https://www.iso.org/standard/65694.html.

Kirilova, K., Yanchev K. Possibility of building geoinformation systems on the principle of the non-deterministic method (H-method). Annual of Konstantin Preslavski University of Shumen. Faculty of Technical Sciences. 2021, vol. XI E, pp. 40-44. ISSN 1311-834X, http://annuals.ftn.shu.bg/files/godishnik_ftn_2021.pdf

LI, Songnian, Suzana Dragicevic, Francesc Antón Castro, Monika SESTER, Stephan Winter, Arzu Coltekin, Christopher Pettit, Bin Jiang, James Haworth, Alfred Stein and Tao Cheng. Geospatial big data handling theory and methods: A review and research challenges. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. 2016, vol. 115, pp. 119-133. DOI: 10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2015.10.012. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2015.10.012.

Longley, Paul A., Michael F. Goodchild, David J. Maguire and David W. Rhind. Geographic Information Science and Systems. 4th ed. Hoboken: Wiley, 2021. ISBN 978-1-119-12845-8. Available from: https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Geographic+Information+Science+and+Systems%2C+4th+Edition-p-9781119128458.

Malczewski, Jacek and Claus Rinner. Multicriteria Decision Analysis in Geographic Information Science. Berlin: Springer, 2015. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-540-74757-4. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-74757-4.

Malczewski, Jacek. GIS and Multicriteria Decision Analysis. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1999. ISBN 978-0-471-32944-2. Available from: https://www.wiley.com/en-us/GIS+and+Multicriteria+Decision+Analysis-p-9780471329442.

Renn, Ortwin. Risk Governance: Coping with Uncertainty in a Complex World. London: Earthscan, 2008. ISBN 978-1-84407-292-7. DOI: 10.4324/9781849772440.

Saaty, Thomas L. The Analytic Hierarchy Process: Planning, Priority Setting, Resource Allocation. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1980. ISBN 978-0-07-054371-3. Available from: https://archive.org/details/analytichierarch0000saat.

UNDRR. Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2022: Our World at Risk: Transforming Governance for a Resilient Future. Geneva: United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, 2022. ISBN 978-92-1-232028-1. Available from: https://www.undrr.org/gar/gar2022-our-world-risk-gar.

Van Westen, Cees J. Remote Sensing and GIS for Natural Hazards Assessment and Disaster Risk Management. In: Shroder, John F. and Michael P. Bishop, eds. Treatise on Geomorphology. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2013, pp. 259-298. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-374739-6.00051-8. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-374739-6.00051-8.

Özyurt, Derya B. and Matthew J. Realff. Geographic and process information for chemical plant layout problems. AIChE Journal. 1999, vol. 45, no. 10, pp. 2161-2174. DOI: 10.1002/aic.690451015.

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS AS A TOOL FOR SPATIAL RISK ASSESSMENT AND SUSTAINABLE TERRITORIAL MANAGEMENT