The management of natural disasters, pandemics and terrorist attacks is relying more and more heavily on digital tools such as Cloud platforms, smartphones and social networks. Is this new development a good idea… or does it also generate extra risk? This is the question that three researchers – including NEOMA’s Dario Bonaretti – answer in a wide-ranging literature review.

From tsunamis, tornadoes and earthquakes to floods and volcanic eruptions; from industrial accidents and terrorist attacks to the Covid-19 pandemic… each of these events, referred to generically as “disasters”, disrupt the day-to-day lives of people across the world suddenly and severely, leaving populations struggling to cope with nothing but their own resources.

The countless dead and injured along with the extensive destruction to homes and roads – not to mention the disruption to essential services such as water, electricity and healthcare – trigger an extraordinary mobilization of public stakeholders. In practical terms, this doesn’t just mean sending personnel and heavy technical equipment to the spot; it also means drawing on the growing use of digital tools. These high-tech resources gather, analyze, share and distribute data as a way to steer and prioritize operations, as well as to keep impacted populations informed.

254 international publications analyzed

What’s more, these tools can be harnessed to deliver preventive measures, such as assessing the risk of flooding when deciding on how big to build a dike. The technology can also be leveraged to prepare for unavoidable events, in particular by designing more accurate weather models, intervention plans or evacuation routes.

The literature review outlines these developments based on an analysis of 254 publications from across the world. The key research objective was to establish whether the digital transformation already underway in the corporate setting is also having an impact on disaster management. And the answer is no: although digital tools are being utilized, they aren’t revolutionizing the processes and organization of relief workers.

A “flood” of data at the ready… but not necessarily the right data

The research lays bare another trend: although this technology boosts the efficiency of relief efforts, it also introduces additional risks and vulnerabilities.

Here’s a first example: the sensors that collect data before or during a disaster – measuring how fast a river flows, detecting the presence of combustion gases in the atmosphere or alerting us to a hurricane spotted by satellite images. In fact, even our smartphones can generate information: thanks to their integrated accelerometers, two billion Android phones feed into a global system for the geolocalized prevention and detection of earthquakes.

The scenario for each event, however, is unique: we can never be sure that the available data is right for a particular situation or that it is up to date. What’s more, there is nothing to say that it is representative and reliable. The article highlights an app that residents can turn to after an earthquake. It employs aerial imagery to assess roof damage that allows for prioritized interventions. It is a very swift process, but the opinions of the unpaid volunteers are not based on expertise. What should the balance be between the quality and quantity of the data?

Data sharing often hits obstacles

Data sharing is another pitfall: firefighters, rescue workers, technical experts and doctors can all gather and pool information. And yet, if heterogeneous systems, different data formats and industry-specific terminology are used to describe a situation, then data sharing is impeded – or even blocked.

By the same token, digital technology has led to a surge in the number of communication channels for reaching populations affected by disasters. The oldest of these (TV, radio and text messaging) are still the most credible in the eyes of their target audience. It simply isn’t possible to stake everything on social networks, especially since they also spread rumors and fake information that the authorities are then obliged to put right.

Visualizing data to convey messages: an art all in itself

Digital technology provides unprecedented opportunities for translating complex data into geolocated images, maps, 3D representations, and more. These visualization tools are an invaluable resource if the data is sourced from multiple emergency stakeholders called on to coordinate their activities.

But the persuasive power of these tools is double-edged when they are used to provide populations with information or to sound the alert. A 2018 study looked at how inhabitants react when a tornado is forecast to hit their region: Do they choose to flee? Seek shelter? Or do nothing? It depends first and foremost on how they interpret the visual information that describes the predicted trajectory of the ferocious whirlwind

Outages, cyberattacks and fake news

It follows that digital tools, these emerging players in disaster management, need to be used with caution, especially since they themselves add an extra “layer of vulnerability”. An extended power outage, the destruction of mobile masts or damage to a data center may neutralize a vital communications network. Similarly, a cyberattack has the potential to deprive emergency workers of decision-making support. The orchestrated dissemination of fake news can lead disaster-affected populations to take wrong decisions. These risks must be weighed up and modeled at regional level, embracing the entire digital infrastructure to ensure it is a trustworthy ally in times of crisis.

Find out more

Diana Fischer-Preßler, Dario Bonaretti and Deborah Bunker, Digital transformation in disaster management: A literature review, The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsis.2024.101865