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This contribution starts from the assumption that volunteered geographic information is a technological, cultural and scientific innovation. It therefore offers first some general background on the context that has fuelled the development of VGI and the lively scientific debates that have accompanied its success. The paper then focuses on the nature of this data by describing the main elements of VGI: the geographical reference (coordinates, geotag, etc.), the contents (texts, images, etc.) and the producers’ profiles. The opportunities and the criticalities offered by this data are described with examples drawn from recent literature and applications to highlight both the research challenges and the current state of the subject. The chapter aims to provide a guide to and a reference picture of this rapidly evolving subject.

In 2014, Wiley and the Zoological Society of London launched Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation, an open-access journal that aims to support communication and collaboration among experts in remote sensing, ecology and conservation science. Remote sensing was from the start understood as the acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon through a device that is not in physical contact with the object, thus including camera traps, field spectrometry, terrestrial and aquatic acoustic sensors, aerial and satellite monitoring as well as ship-borne automatic identification systems. The primary goals of this new journal were, and still are, to maximize the understanding and uptake of remote sensing-based techniques and products by the ecological and conservation communities, prioritizing findings that advance the scientific basis of, and applied outcomes from, ecology and conservation science; and to identify ecological challenges that might direct development of future remote sensors and data products. In October 2015, the first issue of the journal was published, with four other issues produced in 2016 and four to be published in 2017. As Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation is about to complete its second full year of publication and is working towards a first impact factor score in early 2019, the time has come to reflect on how the journal has done to date, what impact it has had, which niches it has successfully filled and where the journal is yet to meet its full potential. By sharing our successes and experiences so far with our contributors and readers, we hope to demonstrate how Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation has swiftly gained significant visibility and status among scientists and practitioners interested in natural resource management. Fil: Pettorelli, Nathalie. The Zoological Society Of London; Reino Unido Fil: Nagendra, Harini. Azim Premji University; India Fil: Rocchini, Duccio. Università Degli Studi Di Trento; Italia Fil: Rowcliffe, Marcus. The Zoological Society Of London; Reino Unido Fil: Williams, Rob. Oceans Initiative; Estados Unidos Fil: Ahumada, Jorge. Conservation International; Estados Unidos Fil: de Angelo, Carlos Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina Fil: Atzberger, Clement. Universitat Fur Bodenkultur Wien; Austria Fil: Boyd, Doreen. Science and Technology Facilities Council of Nottingham. Rutherford Appleton Laboratory; Reino Unido. University of Nottingham; Estados Unidos Fil: Buchanan, Graeme. Royal Society For The Protection Of Birds; Reino Unido Fil: Chauvenet, Alienor. University of Queensland; Australia Fil: Disney, Mathias. Colegio Universitario de Londres; Reino Unido Fil: Duncan, Clare. Deakin University; Australia Fil: Fatoyinbo, Temilola. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; Estados Unidos Fil: Fernandez, Nestor. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Estación Biológica de Doñana; España Fil: Haklay, Muki. Colegio Universitario de Londres; Reino Unido Fil: He, Kate. Murray State University Murray; Estados Unidos Fil: Horning, Ned. American Museum of Natural History; Estados Unidos Fil: Kelly, Natalie. Australian Antarctic Division; Australia Fil: de Klerk, Helen. Stellenbosch University; Sudáfrica Fil: Liu, Xuehua. Tsinghua University; China Fil: Merchant, Nathan. Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science; Reino Unido Fil: Paruelo, José. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Roy, Helen. NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology; Reino Unido Fil: Roy, Shovonlal. University of Reading; Reino Unido Fil: Ryan, Sadie. University of Florida; Estados Unidos Fil: Sollmann, Rahel. University of California at Davis; Estados Unidos Fil: Swenson, Jennifer. University of Duke; Estados Unidos Fil: Wegmann, Martin. Universität Würzburg; Alemania

In the past few years, crowdsourced geographic information (also called volunteered geographic information) has emerged as a promising information source for improving urban resilience by managing risks and coping with the consequences of disasters triggered by natural hazards. This chapter presents a typology of sources and usages of crowdsourced geographic information for disaster management, as well as summarises recent research results and present lessons learned for future research and practice in this field.