INSIGHTS

Notes from the field.

Plain-language explainers on GIS, remote sensing and geospatial AI, plus rapid disaster assessments from our Geospatial Analysis & Disaster Risk Intelligence Unit.

Tractors partially submerged in floodwater at a dealership stockyard in Patna

Featured · RDNA report

Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment: Bihar Floods 2026

An independent rapid geospatial assessment of the widespread riverine flooding that affected over 50 lakh people across 15 districts of Bihar following record-breaking Ganga water levels in September 2026.

26 September 2026 · 13 min read

Read the assessment

Showing 5 articles

Explainer

What "Web GIS" Actually Means for a Department That Isn't Technical

A plain-language explainer distinguishing traditional desktop GIS from browser-based Web GIS, for a non-technical reader deciding whether to invest.

6 min read

Explainer

Drone Mapping vs. Satellite Imagery: Which One Actually Answers Your Question

A decision-framing piece for infrastructure, agriculture, and land-management readers choosing between drone surveys and satellite data.

5 min read

Explainer

Why We Build Open-Source-First — and When We Don't

SkyMantra's technology philosophy: QGIS/PostGIS/GeoServer/Leaflet as the default stack, when commercial cloud AI gets added, and how that keeps costs down for government and academic clients.

5 min read

Wide-angle view of the full landslide track above Rimbi village

RDNA report

Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment: Rimbi Landslide, West Sikkim

An independent rapid geospatial and field-information-based assessment of the 24–26 September 2026 landslide that damaged over 30 houses and displaced more than 100 residents in Rimbi, Gyalshing District, West Sikkim.

26 September 2026 · 14 min read

RDNA report

Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment: Bihar Floods 2026

26 September 2026 · 13 min read

Our RDNAs are independent, rapid assessments built from satellite and terrain observations, official bulletins and verified reporting. They support situational awareness and early recovery planning, and should be used alongside, never in place of, official government assessments.