Page 8 - Disaster Management: The Standards Perspective

Foreword – ITU

Breakthroughs in science and technology are creating
unprecedented capabilities to protect our planet and the life
it supports.

Satellite imagery, for example, is the largest source of data on
Earth's processes that we have ever had. This data can now be
analysed in real time with artificial intelligence.
With new data and insight, we are gaining new powers of
prediction able to save countless numbers of lives.

That is exactly the aim of our partnership with the World
Meteorological Organization and the United Nations
Environment Programme.

Our focus group analysed promising applications of AI for disaster management, curated 27
use cases, and laid the groundwork for new international standards.
Its studies explored AI-enabled advances in data collection and handling, the modelling of
natural hazards and disasters, and emergency communications.

Our focus group's standardization roadmap and glossary of terms and definitions are of key
importance to coordinated global action on disaster risk reduction.

The group also developed guidance on curating data sets for AI, the training and evaluation
of AI-based models, and integrating AI into disaster-management tools.

This report is essential reading for everyone interested in contributing to the next phase of
international collaboration on disaster risk reduction.

This next phase will be anchored by our new Global Initiative on Resilience to Natural Hazards
through AI Solutions together with WMO, UNEP, the UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change, and the Universal Postal Union.

We will continue exploring AI use cases and driving associated research, innovation, and
standards development. We also plan to create an AI readiness framework to assess and
improve national capacities for using AI in disaster management.
We welcome you to join us.

Seizo Onoe
Director, Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (TSB)
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

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