Radio science's contribution to disaster emergencies

Radio science plays an important role in the first two weeks after a disaster strikes, i.e., in the “response phase.” Optical observations are considered complementary. The paper deals with: (i) actions presently taken for ensuring radio propagation and radio navigation in a crisis period; (ii) space borne, airborne, and ground-based remote-sensing instruments (in particular, synthetic aperture radars) used for collecting the maximum of relevant data; and (iii) data management, via geographical information systems (GIS), for the decision-making process.