The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICs) has sent four team members to Haiti in response to the devastating earthquake that recently struck the country.

Supporting NGO MapAction, the specialists are travelling with the UK's urban search and rescue (USAR) specialists provided by regional fire services.

A massive international aid response has swung into action and an early crucial need is for geographic and mapping information to steer and coordinate delivery of relief assistance across the affected area.

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MapAction carried out a similar role following the Sumatra earthquake four months ago but the Haiti emergency is on an even larger scale.

Nigel Woof, MapAction Chief Executive, said: "Within days we expect that dozens - or probably hundreds - of aid organisations will be trying to make sense of the shattered landscape and communities in Haiti.

"Our job is to gather information that can be mapped to create a shared operational picture, so that people most in need get the right types of help."

RICS has a strong relationship with MapAction and many of the mapping and GI specialists are RICS members and from RICS member firms. RICS is also listed as a supporter of MapAction and made it chief executive David Spackman HonRICS in 2006.

RICS will be publishing an article on MapAction and its field mapping and preparedness activities in Papua New Guinea (as sponsored by RICS Education Trust and RGS) in the March 2010 issue of Geomatics World.

(GK/BMcC)