• In a collaborative effort to address the increasing risks posed by climate-related disasters, the Permanent Mission of the Czech Republic to the United Nations Office in Geneva held a session focused on the role of digital technologies in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). 

• The event, held at the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Secretariat in Geneva, brought together ambassadors and representatives of African and European countries.

• The effective application of technologies is crucial not only for improving disaster readiness but also for fostering public-private partnerships and creating supportive frameworks for innovation. 

• WMO continues to support its Members in improving flood forecasting and management through various initiatives. These efforts include developing early warning systems, providing technical guidance, and offering capacity-building programmes.

• Over the last two decades, disasters have claimed nearly 1.23 million lives, impacted livelihoods and cumulated trillions in economic losses, resulting in the destabilisation of the socioeconomic fabric of many countries and regions. 

• Floods have doubled in frequency over the last 20 years, becoming the one of the most frequent causes of disaster. The resulting loss of human lives and extensive damages are bringing about long-term and far-reaching changes to economies and migration patterns.

• Droughts, on the other hand, are slow onset events with impacts that become visible over time: aggravating poverty and hunger while also affecting ecosystems in the long-term through desertification, biodiversity loss and wildfires. 

• WMO is seeking to drive digital transformation by exploring the use of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), drones, Metaverse, Digital Twins, Internet of Things (IoT) and others in the hydrological domain. 

Use of digital technologies in disaster risk reduction

• New technologies can help detect and prepare for extreme weather and other hazards, as well as communicate to people and communities effectively about the necessary response.

• Integrating frontier technologies including Artificial Intelligence (AI) into existing emergency systems can harness the potential of existing data streams and improve hazard mitigation and disaster management.  

• Artificial Intelligence can help response teams understand natural hazards, monitor events in real time, and anticipate specific risks in the face of impending or on-going disasters.

• While satellites and other current meteorological infrastructures provide valuable information to predict the weather, AI can take the process considerably further. Impact system modelling, for example, can indicate the likely consequences of natural hazards for populations and ecosystems.

• AI can also enhance earthquake detection and tsunami warning using geological information from research centres around the world.  

• Besides AI, several other technologies are being employed across the different stages of the disaster management cycle. 

• The International Water Management Institute has made use of IoT (Internet of Things) sensors along with remote sensing to provide water level data and incorporated citizen science data to pilot parametric insurance products at the village level for multiple districts in South Asia. 

• Drones are being employed to generate images with high spatial resolution for hazard and risk mapping as well as to locate survivors using thermal imaging.

• A comprehensive disaster management solution will require the integration of multiple technologies. Drones, IoT and digital twin can complement AI-based prediction models to bolster disaster risk management and further enhance the effectiveness of Early Warning Systems.

Using game technology for disaster risk reduction

• As advancements in Earth observation, remote sensing, and data collection continue, there remains a significant challenge in effectively utilising the vast amount of disaster-related information to enhance community preparedness. 

• A multi-year research effort by Navteca, supported by NASA’s Applied Sciences Program, has explored the use of game engines as an innovative medium for visualising complex geospatial and scientific data in Guatemala.

• Game engines are the software that is typically used to develop video games. This non-traditional use of gaming technology provides several potential benefits for geospatial and scientific data to include near real-time image rendering, seemingly limitless interaction to explore scenarios, and the ability to “see” data in a realistic setting.

• This non-traditional approach has demonstrated the potential to bridge gaps between scientific insights and actionable information for policymakers, emergency managers, and other non-scientific users. 

• The Guatemala City pilot project exemplifies this technology’s successful application, integrating multi-hazard risk assessments and NASA data into an interactive 3D environment. 

• This visualisation tool has enhanced understanding of disaster risks, informed decision-making, and facilitated stakeholder collaboration. 

• Despite challenges in geo-referencing and realtime data processing, Navteca’s work highlights the promise of immersive visualisation technologies in disaster risk reduction and climate resilience planning. 

• Future research aims to develop these technologies further, incorporating AI-driven interactions to enhance user accessibility and interpretation of Earth science data.

Scenario in India

• India is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. Several factors such as the location and geographic characteristics serve as catalysts for a number of natural hazards such as floods, cyclones, fire, droughts, landslides, earthquakes, and avalanches.

• Advancements in technology and innovation at the core of disaster response can not only improve the efficiency of such a disaster response system but also enhance the coping capacity of people, organisations, and institutions to manage disasters in the first place.

• In November 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a ten-point agenda on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) during the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) held in New Delhi. 

• The all inclusive agenda presents a holistic approach to disaster risk reduction and addresses a whole range of issues, from community preparedness to use of technology and international cooperation. 

• A key point was leveraging technology to enhance the efficiency of disaster risk management efforts. 

• India Meteorological Department (IMD) issues regular and precise weather forecasts & warning bulletins including for cyclones to all the affected or likely affected states/ UTs.

• IMD uses a suite of quality observations from satellites, radars and conventional & automatic weather stations for monitoring of cyclones developing over the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. 

• Under the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP), early warning systems have been installed in coastal states, which have proved to be of great help in alert dissemination to the coastal community during recent cyclones.

• ‘Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) based Integrated Alert System’ has been initiated for dissemination of geo targeted early warnings/alerts related to disasters to the citizens of India for all 36 states/UTs using various disseminating medium like SMS, TV, Radio, Indian Railways, Coastal Sirens, Cell broadcast, Internet through integration of all alerting agencies. The alerts are sent to geo-targeted areas in regional languages.

• The Center for Disaster Risk Reduction (CDRR), the School of Internal Security and SMART Policing (SISSP) at Rashtriya Raksha University, under the Ministry of Home Affairs is actively engaged and working on the mandate in addressing various facets of natural and anthropogenic disasters. It endeavors to offer a platform for exploring the tech-driven multifaceted implications of disasters on national security, with the objective of examining the research findings that delve into the diverse impacts of disasters on security frameworks nationally and globally.

Early Warnings for All

• Launched in 2022 by the United Nations, Early Warnings for All is a groundbreaking initiative to ensure that everyone on Earth is protected from hazardous weather, water, or climate events through life-saving early warning systems by the end of 2027.

• Despite the urgent need, only half of the countries worldwide report having adequate multi-hazard early warning systems. 

• One out of three people, mainly in least developed countries and small island developing states, lack access to adequate multi-hazard early warning systems.

• As a call to scale up national action, Early Warnings for All can play a crucial role in accelerating investment to address countries’ vulnerability to climate change by improving early warning systems and enhancing resilience.

• Early Warnings for All is built on four pillars that are the cornerstones of the initiative and of effective multi-hazard early warning.

i) Disaster risk knowledge and management (led by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction).

ii) Detection, observation, monitoring, analysis, and forecasting (led by World Meteorological Organisation)

iii) Warning dissemination and communication (led by International Telecommunication Union)

iv) Preparedness and response capabilities (led by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies).

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