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Over 17 million people worldwide were displaced by disasters in 2018
Disaster response boosted by new technologies, satellite communications
National frameworks needed to take advantage of innovation, say experts
By Gareth Willmer
As weather-related disasters force millions from their homes each year, new technologies are transforming…
Artificial intelligence and extensive satellite imagery have allowed researchers to map the world’s intertidal zones for the first time, revealing a significant loss of the crucial ecosystem.
The University of Queensland and University of New South Wales study has shown that global foreshore environments declined by up to 16 per cent between 1984 and 2…
By Renu Mehta
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In the immediate aftermath of disasters, timely and effective information is critical for the decision-making process. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) play a significant role in mitigation, preparedness, response, and rehabilitation by facilitating the flow of vital information in a timely manner.
To deliver…
By Hallie Golden
Inside a small, rectangular room at the University of Washington is a series of shelves filled with more than 300 high-tech tools. There’s a collection of drones, cameras, and tablets, and even a mobile EEG kit, able to measure a brain’s electrical activity and detect stress levels in disaster victims. Each one has been meticulously o…
This joint report examines the potential contribution of emerging technologies and innovations to improving understanding and management of disaster risk and impacts and broadening the adoption of financial protection mechanisms. It focuses specifically on (i) developments in access to data through earth observation technology, street-level imagery, con…
This paper discusses how an increase in the frequency and severity of wildfires across the globe and resultant changes to long-established fire regimes, and the mapping of fire severity is a vital part of monitoring ecosystem resilience and recovery. It talks about how the emergence of unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS) and compact sensors (RGB and LiDAR…
Climate data taken from Earth orbiting satellites, combined with machine learning techniques, are helping to better predict outbreaks of cholera and potentially save lives.
Cholera is a waterborne disease caused by the ingestion of water or food contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, which can be found in many coastal regions around the world…
In a milestone decision, the World Meteorological Organization’s Executive Council has endorsed a unified policy on the international exchange of Earth system data to help its Members meet the explosive growth in demand for weather, climate and water services as the world grapples with the dual challenges of climate change and the increas…
Cartagena, Colombia, June 21 – The Sendai Framework is an opportunity to “unleash” science in the service of reducing the risks posed by natural disasters that take so many lives each year, a conference on disaster reduction heard.
Implementation of the global plan for disaster reduction, which was launched in 2015, and the contribution that academics…
The Digital Twin Earth Hydrology Platform, a ground-breaking step toward a virtual replica of the terrestrial water cycle, combines new high-resolution satellite observations and cutting-edge modeling to build a test environment for our planet. As the climate crisis unfolds and human impacts on the water cycle increase, the exceptionally detailed a…
Context
The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 heralds a shift from managing disasters to managing risks. It provides an opportunity to make disaster risk reduction integral to sustainable development. For this to happen, sound scientific research and evidence-based knowledge is needed. This will enable better policymaking that addr…
An unusual boost in plant productivity can foreshadow severe soil water loss. NASA satellites are following the clues.Flaring up rapidly and with little warning, the drought that gripped much of the United States in the summer of 2012 was one of the most extensive the country had seen since the yearslong Dust Bowl of the 1930s. The "flash drought,"…
The 2018 United Nations E-Government Survey (hereinafter referred to as “the Survey”) is issued at the time of key rapid technological changes, with Member States in the third year of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Survey provides new analysis and evidence to further utilize the potential of e-government to support t…
As California and other states continue to battle extreme heat this fire season, Kevin Schwarm, who is pursuing a Ph.D. at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, has been fighting fire with fire alongside other researchers at Blodgett Forest in Northern California.
Using new drone sensing technology, Schwarm has helped contribute to a new way of measu…
From movie suggestions to self-driving vehicles, machine learning has revolutionised modern life. Experts are now using it to help solve one of humanity’s biggest problems: climate change.
With machine learning, we can use our abundance of historical climate data and observations to improve predictions of Earth’s future climate. And these predictions w…