Technological Innovations in Emergency Management: Transforming Preparedness, Response, and Recovery

    Deadline for Manuscript Submissions: 30 June 2026

     

     

    Special Issue Editors

     

    Dr. Katarzyna Kubiak-Wójcicka Website  E-Mail:kubiak@umk.pl

    Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Faculty of Earth Sciences and Spatial Management, Poland

    Interests: drought, floods, water management, water law

     

     

    Special Issue Information

    Emergency management is the process of responding to critical events that require constant preparedness, adequate preparation, appropriate response and recovery support. In this special issue, we will focus on emergencies(such as natural hazards, public health events, and social crises). The evolving landscape of global emergencies—from natural disasters to public health crises—demands paradigm-shifting solutions powered by advanced technologies.

    Natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, floods, and tsunamis most often occur unexpectedly, but in many cases they can be anticipated and their effects can be minimised to some extent through adequate preparation and response. Up-to-date early warning systems and well-thought-out emergency plans are key instruments for further disaster risk reduction. Therefore, it is necessary to familiarise oneself with existing developments in the use of new technologies and the application of innovative procedures, techniques and simulation tools throughout the disaster management cycle.

    This special issue aims to explore how emerging tools such as artificial intelligence, IoT networks, predictive analytics, drone technologies, and blockchain applications are redefining the three critical phases of emergency management: anticipatory preparedness, real-time response, and post-crisis recovery. We particularly welcome contributions in the following areas:

    • AI/ML-driven predictive analytics for disaster risk reduction
    • UAVs/drones and robotics in search-and-rescue operations
    • Blockchain for resilient supply chains during crises
    • Big data integration for real-time decision-making
    • Wearable tech and IoT-enabled early warning systems
    • Implementation of modern technologies in crisis management
    • Resilience and Adaptation of technical infrastructure in the context of possible threats
    • Ethical and social implications of emerging technologies

    This special issue of “Technological Innovations in Emergency Management: Transforming Preparedness, Response, and Recovery” aims to seek high quality papers focusing on the latest developments in emergency management.

     

    Keywords

    Emergency management

    AI-driven disaster modeling

    climate threats

    adaptation to climate change

    natural hazards

    hurricanes

    earthquakes

    wildfires

    floods

    tsunamis

    predictive analytics

    disaster preparedness

    emergency response

    public health crises

    pandemics

    disaster recovery

    public safety

    disaster risk reduction

    early warning systems

       

      • Open Access

        Review

        Article ID: 3137

        Enhancing urban disaster response through AI-driven data visualization for real-time decision support

        by Kemisola Kasali

        Public Safety and Emergency Management, Vol.1, No.1, 2025;

        Urban areas face escalating threats from natural disasters due to climate change and rapid urbanization. This research explores how AI-driven data visualization enhances disaster response and supports real-time decision-making processes. The study proposes a reference architecture that integrates multiple data streams with adaptive visualization techniques, an advancement that improves situational awareness and coordination in emergency response environments. The research evaluates the Graph Attention Convolutional U-NET (GAC-UNET) model, which demonstrated high accuracy in flood detection tasks, achieving a 94% dice score and an 89% intersection over union (IoU). Case studies demonstrate practical benefits in real-world disaster situations, which include enhanced disaster impact prediction with greater precision, optimized resource allocation for maximum efficiency, and improved communication among diverse stakeholders in disaster response efforts. The findings reveal that AI-enabled data visualization significantly improves urban disaster response agility and accuracy, ultimately saving lives and reducing economic losses. The proposed framework adds operational capabilities to disaster management and offers improvements over traditional static dashboard systems. However, AI adoption in disaster management faces challenges such as data privacy concerns, security issues, ethical considerations in critical decision-making, and organizational resistance to new technology integration. This research emphasizes human-centered design principles and ethical AI governance frameworks for successful and responsible implementation. Future research should focus on generative AI models for scenario simulation, enhanced real-time predictive analytics capabilities, and community-driven platforms that improve collaboration and accelerate crisis decision-making processes.

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        (This article belongs to the Special Issue Technological Innovations in Emergency Management: Transforming Preparedness, Response, and Recovery)