Publication:

The role of artificial intelligence in enhancing disaster management: implications for medical and public health preparedness

Natural disasters, including earthquakes, wildfires, floods, and disease outbreaks, have catastrophic consequences for human lives, infrastructure, and economies worldwide. Their increasing frequency and intensity, exacerbated by climate change and urbanization, present significant challenges to disaster management. Traditional approaches often struggle to cope with the scale and complexity of modern disasters. This narrative review examines the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to transform disaster management, exploring its applications across the disaster cycle. By assessing AI's role in damage assessment, early warning systems, resource allocation, and post-disaster rehabilitation, the review identifies opportunities to enhance disaster response and recovery efforts. Additionally, it addresses challenges related to AI implementation, such as algorithmic bias, data quality, and ethical considerations, to develop equitable and robust AI-driven disaster management strategies. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify key research on AI’s role in early warning systems, disaster management, damage control, resource allocation, and post-disaster recovery. AI holds significant potential to improve disaster response and recovery. It can enhance early warning systems, optimize resource allocation, and improve damage assessment. Furthermore, AI can support post-disaster repair and rehabilitation efforts. However, challenges such as data quality, ethical concerns, and algorithmic bias must be addressed to ensure the responsible and effective application of AI in disaster management. By harnessing the power of AI, we can build more resilient societies and reduce the impact of future disasters. To fully realize AI’s potential, it is essential to integrate it into research, development, and ethical frameworks, ensuring its responsible and efficient implementation.