A 7.8 magnitude earthquake has left hundreds of thousands of people homeless during a freezing winter, leaving them in desperate need of food, water, and supplies. This devastating earthquake has killed over 42,000 people in Turkey, and charities, businesses, and volunteers are using social media, cryptocurrencies, and open-source technology to aid relief efforts in Syria.
In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has been increasingly used in disaster relief operations to assist with a variety of tasks, including damage assessment, search and rescue, and resource allocation. Here are a few examples of how artificial intelligence has been used in relief efforts following earthquakes in Turkey and Syria:
The earthquake
The deadly Kahramanmaras double earthquake that struck south-eastern Türkiye and northern and western Syria on 6 February shows how technology is assisting disaster hit areas.
The catastrophe caused by the two 7.8 and 7.5 Richter scale earthquakes is hard to understand. By of 16 February, about 42,000 people had died in ten provinces, spanning 50,000 square km. The WHO declared it the greatest disaster in its 53-country Europe region in 100 years on February 15. At the first of two emergency pleas, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called it a “epic natural disaster.”
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The millions affected could not have suffered worse. Digital and developing technology have aided rescue efforts.
Disaster assistance has used emerging technology from the early 2000s. The magnitude of open-source websites, AI, and social media use separates the Türkiye-Syria aid efforts.
Why world need to focus on technology in the response to earthquake crisis?
Using technology to help with earthquake crises can help in a number of ways that can make relief efforts more efficient and effective. Here are a few reasons why the world should focus on technology when dealing with earthquake crises:
- Speed and accuracy: Technologies like artificial intelligence, drones, and satellite imagery can tell quickly and accurately how bad the damage is and what people in affected areas need. This information can help relief groups decide what to do first and how to use their resources more effectively.
- Safety: Technology can help keep people who are helping after an earthquake safe. For example, drones can be used to check on the damage to buildings and infrastructure before workers go into the area. This lowers the chance that aftershocks or falling structures will hurt or kill them.
- Communication: Technology can help improve how relief organizations talk to each other and work together, as well as how they talk to the people they are helping. For example, social media and messaging apps can be used to share information about the status of relief efforts. Tracking and mapping tools can be used to keep track of the movement of relief supplies and people.
- Innovation: Using technology can help come up with new ways to deal with earthquakes. For example, 3D printing can be used to quickly make temporary shelters and other essential supplies, and virtual reality can be used to train relief workers by simulating what it would be like to help during an earthquake.
Deploying advanced technologies to respond to an earthquake can help save lives, ease suffering, and speed up the process of getting back on your feet. By putting money into technology, the world can get ready for more earthquakes and help relief efforts work better.
7 innovative technologies in the aftermath of the earthquake
Both nations were inundated with offers of assistance, financial donations, and potential solutions from people all over the world who wanted to lend a helping hand. The following are examples of creative use of technology:
- Powerful social media: The dissemination of critical information through social media platforms and the coordination of assistance efforts. In some cases, people who were stranded tweeted messages that included their location, and they shared these tweets with users who had huge followings.
- Mobile app: An app that makes a high-pitched whistle could be developed so that people who were trapped may use their phones to bring attention to themselves.
- Meta safety check tool: Meta made available a safety check tool, which allowed individuals to let their family and friends know that they were safe. This is something that the company has been doing for a number of years now.
- WhatsApp helpline: In order to disseminate information regarding search and rescue activities and opportunities for volunteering, search and rescue teams, such as Turkey’s AKUT Search and Rescue Association, have established their own WhatsApp helpline.
- Crypto: A real-time financial lifeline was offered by the cryptocurrency community in the form of donations totaling millions of dollars in the midst of a crisis that disrupted the operations of traditional banking institutions, despite the fact that there have been questions raised about the usefulness of cryptocurrency in the real world.
- AI-powered websites: Open-source websites and platforms to help people in crisis have been set up by developers using basic HTML to make them easier and faster to load (some of which have been funded as start-ups). Among these are the creation of heatmaps for rescue services that show where survivors are buried based on information gathered from calls for help; information about blood donations; links for temporary housing providers and those distributing food and clothing; lists (many of which were made from a lot of scattered data and sorted using AI) of those known to be trapped in the rubble as well as those in need of urgent humanitarian assistance or medical aid; and apps.
- Microsoft backed satellite imagery: Microsoft Turkey offered all of its technologies, including software, hardware, and services, freely available to organizations working in the disaster zone. Satellite imaging was utilized to provide a more comprehensive perspective of the region that was impacted, much as it has been in the aftermath of such disasters in the past. The use of images has assisted relief agencies in locating the most severely damaged locations and assessing the condition of the impacted infrastructure, both of which are essential for ensuring that aid is successfully distributed.
How Technology is important over the longer term especially for disaster management
Technology is a key part of both the immediate response to disasters and the long-term recovery process. Here are some ways that technology is important for long-term disaster management:
Technology can be used to collect and analyze information about how disasters affect people, such as how many people are affected, how bad the damage is, and what people in the affected areas need. This information can help improve how disasters are managed in the future and how people respond to them.
Technology can be used to make early warning systems for disasters like earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes. These systems can warn people ahead of time about possible disasters, giving them time to get ready and, if necessary, evacuate. Using technology can help critical infrastructure, like buildings, bridges, and power grids, be better prepared to handle disasters. For example, sensors and monitoring systems can be used to find weak spots in infrastructure and make preventive maintenance easier.
Technology can make it easier for disaster management groups and communities to talk to each other and share information. This can help make sure that relief efforts are coordinated and effective, and that communities have access to the information they need to make good decisions. Technology can be used to come up with new ways to deal with problems in disaster management. For example, drones and robots can be used to find and save people, and 3D printing can be used to quickly make supplies and equipment that are needed.
For disaster management to be more effective and efficient in the long run, new-generation technology is a must. By putting money into technology and new ideas, disaster management organizations can better prepare for and respond to disasters, which can save lives and lessen the damage they cause.
Wrapping up
In conclusion, technology has shown itself to be an indispensable instrument in disaster management, both during and after the occurrence of natural catastrophes. It delivers data and insights in real-time, which can assist first responders in better understanding the impact of the crisis and responding more swiftly and effectively to it. In addition, technology is essential for developing early warning systems, enhancing communication, building more robust infrastructure, and exchanging information among relief agencies and communities that have been impacted. In the end, investing in technology has the potential to save lives, alleviate the suffering of those who are afflicted, and hasten the process of rehabilitation. Technology will continue to play an increasingly important role in minimizing the effects of natural disasters and assisting humanity in recovering and rebuilding in the wake of these disasters as they become more frequent and severe.
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