Real-time data and AI are the new weapons against climate disasters

Intelligent Emergency Systems for Sustainable Development

When disasters strike, cities face immense coordination challenges. Traditional infrastructure and siloed operations often prove inadequate amid catastrophes like hurricanes, wildfires, and flooding. As climate change intensifies extreme weather, the need for intelligent emergency systems becomes even more critical.

Many cities still rely on outdated, disparate systems for monitoring, managing, and responding to these incidents and events. Collaboration and information sharing is critical to ensure timely and efficient risk mitigation, response, and recovery. Traditional standalone closed-circuit camera systems, sensor networks, and data sets that are not interconnected create a fractured approach and significantly hinder situational awareness and multi-agency collaboration during a crisis.

The limitations of these legacy systems were exposed during recent natural disasters. Hundreds of fans in Houston were stranded for hours at the Toyota Center after a 2015 playoff game due to severe flooding. Emergency responders struggled to reach those in need and advise safe exit routes. Communication breakdowns between agencies and property managers further hampered efforts.

In 2017, Hurricane Harvey provided another stark lesson. With 68 deaths and $125 billion in damage, America’s second costliest tropical cyclone revealed how overwhelmed cities can become without real-time visibility and data sharing among public and private entities. Hurricane Ida demonstrated similar systemic failures in 2021, as did winter storms that crippled Texas the same year.

Managing risk data

Thankfully, new smart city technologies can offer a solution to this problem. Data-driven video management software (VMS), smart cameras, sensors, drones, and video analytics are transforming emergency preparedness and response. Open platform VMS deployments are especially advantageous, providing the flexibility to integrate virtually any other data system or sensor into a single platform creating a disaster resilient single pane of glass solution for cities.

As the city of Houston discovered through its Houston Living Lab initiative, open platform video technology brings substantial efficiency, scalability, and resilience benefits. The city can now swiftly share video feeds and data between its convention facilities, downtown surveillance networks, traffic management centers, police departments, fire crews, and other external agencies and partners. Access to all available information in a single pane of glass enables educated decision making during high-risk events.

For example, within the city of Houston, the VMS can integrate with a situational awareness platform to ingest hazard warnings from the city’s flood sensor networks. Automated alarms instantly activate when waters reach threatening levels, enabling proactive emergency responses. As hurricanes approach, the system similarly consumes weather projection data to highlight the city’s most vulnerable areas and infrastructure.

Another compelling integration comes from syncing the VMS with Houston’s traffic/navigation app. The platform gets populated with crowd-sourced hazard reports from everyday commuters, delivering near real-time insights. Synchronization with security operations allows high-priority incidents to be visually investigated through nearby traffic cameras.

In smart cities, expansive sensor networks generate massive datasets by continuously measuring factors like air particulate counts, environmental noise levels, traffic flows, building energy loads, water usage, and more. When combined with intelligent video analytics software, these rich data streams are converted into simplified status dashboards, notifications, and models, revealing insights and patterns. City departments can use this intelligence to enable automated, real-time optimizations of urban systems, from transit signaling to irrigation control to emergency response.

An open ecosystem

Open platform VMS offers incredible versatility thanks to its available application programming interfaces (APIs). These interfaces allow the VMS to ingest and correlate data from virtually any sensor source. Developers can build custom integrations between new and legacy systems, spanning acoustic detection, air quality monitors, license plate readers, and beyond.

The open APIs also ensure end users aren’t locked into proprietary technology vendors or ecosystems. Cities can seamlessly deploy innovative new sensors and software solutions as technologies develop without needing to prematurely rip and replace their existing systems, saving substantial taxpayer funds. Relevant climate risk and emergency management may include technologies such as:

• Flood detection sensors installed on light poles and elevated surfaces provide real-time street-level flooding data with automated alarms when waters reach dangerous levels.
• Roadway flood warning systems use flood sensors and intelligent transportation devices to warn about flooding on roads.
• Mobile air quality sensors deployed on vehicles monitor pollution levels.
• Water quality test technologies monitor drinking water and wastewater.
• Smart grease traps alert businesses to clean traps and notify the city about grease entering sewers.
• Smart water meters monitor water usage every
  

  SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

  1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

  • SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • SDG 13: Climate Action
  • SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  The article discusses the challenges faced by cities during disasters and the need for intelligent emergency systems. This aligns with SDG 11, which focuses on creating sustainable cities and communities. Additionally, the article mentions the impact of climate change on extreme weather events, connecting it to SDG 13, which aims to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. The use of smart city technologies and open platform VMS deployments also relates to SDG 9, which promotes the development of resilient infrastructure and the facilitation of sustainable industrialization.

  2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

  • SDG 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters.
  • SDG 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
  • SDG 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all.

  The article highlights the need for improved coordination and information sharing during disasters to reduce the number of deaths, people affected, and economic losses caused by disasters. This aligns with SDG 11.5. The use of smart city technologies and open platform VMS deployments can also strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters, addressing SDG 13.1. Furthermore, the development of these technologies contributes to the goal of creating quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure, as stated in SDG 9.1.

  3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

  • Number of deaths and people affected by disasters
  • Economic losses caused by disasters relative to global gross domestic product
  • Resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters
  • Development of quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure

  The article mentions the impact of disasters in terms of deaths, people affected, and economic losses. These indicators can be used to measure progress towards SDG 11.5. Additionally, the use of smart city technologies and open platform VMS deployments can contribute to building resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters, which can be measured as an indicator for SDG 13.1. The development of quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure can be measured through indicators such as the implementation of smart city technologies and open platform VMS deployments.

  Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

  SDGs	Targets	Indicators
  SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities	11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters.	– Number of deaths and people affected by disasters – Economic losses caused by disasters relative to global gross domestic product
  SDG 13: Climate Action	13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.	– Resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters
  SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure	9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all.	– Development of quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure

  Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

  Source: securitymagazine.com

   

  

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