Role of Forensic Anthropology in Disaster Victim Identification: Observing Policy Improvement and Progression

Disaster victim identification (DVI) is the method or technique used to identify the victims of a mass casualty that was either natural or man-made (Interpol, 2017). As the years pass and the forensics field is becoming increasingly saturated, the need for more refined and conducive approaches to disaster victim identification. This is hinged on the incorporation of forensic anthropology, which is a branch of physical anthropology which combines the methods of studying human remains and archaeology to solve cases. Practices like facial reconstruction, superimposition, database creation, and so on, help in identification in these mass calamities. This paper aims to review the history of forensic anthropology and how it is being utilised in the disaster victim identification process, specifically using the procedure laid out by Interpol. Moreover, this will overview of the true need of forensic anthropologists and how best their techniques can be implemented.