Wilderness Search and Rescue: Adopting a New Approach for Finding Missing People Using GIS Techniques in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Every year, hundreds of people go missing in the wilderness of Saudi Arabia. There is an immediate need to examine modern geographic techniques for finding these people. Geographical information systems (GIS), for example, play a crucial role in WiSAR, not only in mapping probability areas but also in applying further analysis and modeling methods to reduce time and effort and guide life-saving task forces in the right direction. In a hypothetical case study conducted in Saudi Arabia, this study compares two standard WiSAR models, ring and mobility. In these situations, both models can be used. However, the new approach in the mobility model drastically reduces the possible search areas, from 101,787 km2 in the ring model to 335.34 km of likely trails and unpaved roads, and gives exact directions to where a missing person may be.