Radio science issues - contribution to disaster management

Radio science activities covered by URSI (International Radio Science Union) are briefly reviewed. They encompasses the knowledge and study of all aspects of electromagnetic fields and waves in a wide frequency range running from micropulsation frequencies (i.e. from ~1 mHz) to Terahertz. The topics include: electromagnetic measurements and standards, electromagnetic theory and applications, radio-communication systems and signal processing, electronics and Photonics, electromagnetic environment and interference, wave propagation and remote sensing, ionospheric radio and propagation, waves in plasmas, radio astronomy, and electromagnetics in biology and medicine. A very preliminary analysis of potential radio science contribution to natural disaster management is presented. It is focussed on problems raised by radio communication and observation systems: before, during and after disasters. It points out the importance of a close collaboration between geoscience and engineering science: both to interpret observational data and to design new instruments. More elaborated analyses are needed to identify other challenges and collaborations. A call for collaborations between Scientific Unions as well as Research and Application organisms is launched.