• What are our society’s critical lifelines and infrastructure vulnerabilities, and how can we develop tools such as GIS to model and map their spatial linkages and interdependencies?
• What are the research challenges for continued integration of
transformational
geographic technologies (e.g., real-time GPS/GIS, remote sensing, wireless
mobile computing, etc.) to enhance disaster response, national security, and
infrastructure vulnerability assessment? What is the potential for using these
integrated geographic systems to address complex processes related to terrorism,
such as disaster response, reduction of world poverty, sustainable development,
and a host of other needs?
• What were the variable geographic and economic impacts of the September 11th events how can we develop better spatial/economic models to predict variable short and long-term geographic impacts of other potential terrorist threats or hazards?
• In an era of heightened security and precautions, how can individual human rights and privacy be protected, when the powerful capabilities of advanced geographic technologies, as with so many other advances in technology, have inherent within them a risk for potential abuse? What social responsibilities will those employing spatial technologies in the future have for human rights, privacy, and related issues?
• How has the political control of space (or lack thereof) fostered terrorism? How do stateless zones and states shift their patterns through time, through changing environmental conditions, and population migrations?
• How can geography education foster better understanding of the world and its diversity, and cooperation among peoples and societies?
• How do we insure the continuity of operations during an emergency and thus prepare for mutual support in terms of surprise? What types of data and information are required to insure an adequate response?
• With regard to bioterrorism, what are the geographic conditions and factors
that affect the diffusion of purposely introduced diseases among populations of
humans, animals or plants, and how are these different from naturally occurring
diseases?
Funding Source: National Science Foundation