8 Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Displacement

Displacement is inherently spatial. The spatial aspect of displacement uniquely positions Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for documenting, representing, analyzing, curating, and understanding displacement situations within the complex body of information systems used in service providers networks for planning, decision-making, and operations. This chapter first explores two areas related to GIS and displacement—advances in GIS for challenging environments, such as refugee situations, and the theoretical foundations of GIS and displacement. Following and building upon these discussions, further directions for GIS and displacement research are presented.