Climate change intensifies disasters everywhere, affecting everyone
Climate change is driving more frequent and severe disasters: storms, floods, wildfires, droughts and landslides are impacting billions, disrupting infrastructure, economies and livelihoods. Disasters strike regardless of geography or wealth. In 2024 alone, 45 million people were displaced by disasters, with storms and floods accounting for over half of these displacements. Water-related hazards have caused half of all disasters and 45 percent of disaster deaths over the past five decades. Droughts now affect over 1.5 billion people, while wildfires burn increasingly large areas, threatening ecosystems and urban communities alike. The scale and frequency of these events are straining infrastructure, health systems and economies, highlighting that climate-driven disasters spare no one and disproportionately burden the most vulnerable.
Technologies are already available for both disaster preparedness and response
Technologies that help affected populations to both prepare for and respond to disasters are already available and in use – and are rapidly advancing. Disasters are global and so is the availability of both vital low-tech solutions and cutting edge advanced tools. But not all areas are equally well served. Emergency organizations are well experienced in reaching isolated and marginal communities and increasingly benefiting from the use of innovative solutions across diverse geographical areas and disaster types. AI is a major enabler that is rapidly increasing a range of capabilities across the technology landscape. International patenting also indicates strong innovation activity, especially in universal tools such as drones, AI, machine learning, and early warning systems, and also increasingly in specific technologies designed for wildfire prevention, prediction and response. Emerging technologies that range from AI-driven forecasting, satellite monitoring, drones and IoT sensors to resilient infrastructure, early warning systems and digital logistics platforms are transforming how societies anticipate, respond to and recover from these crises. Equitable deployment and inclusive design are essential in ensuring vulnerable communities benefit and global resilience is strengthened.
Innovation delivers results and lowers the cost of disaster preparedness and risk reduction
Investing in disaster preparedness and risk reduction is far more cost-effective than responding to crises once they have occurred. Yet global financing for prevention remains critically low. With over 300 million people needing humanitarian assistance annually, and funding meeting less than half of what is required, risk-layered financing and early action are essential. Pre-arranged mechanisms, such as insurance and contingency funds to forecast-based financing, can accelerate response and reduce losses, particularly in vulnerable countries where access remains limited. The Sendai Framework emphasizes the central role of technology in all disaster phases, promoting early warning systems, hazard monitoring, geospatial tools and resilient communications that enable governments to anticipate, mitigate and respond more effectively. Expanding coverage, especially in least developed countries and small island states, is vital in ensuring timely, coordinated and equitable disaster preparedness and response worldwide. Beyond efficiency, disaster preparedness and response are a moral imperative – no community should be left behind when climate-induced disasters strike.
The innovation ecosystem is a technology enabler
As stressed in the previous three editions of the Green Technology Book, innovation and technology hold some – though not all – solutions to climate change and, by extension, to the impacts of climate-induced disasters. Such solutions emerge from strong innovation ecosystems and effective technology transfer processes, moving from laboratories to national and foreign markets, and then across borders, whether from south to south, north to south or south to north. These ecosystems rely on broader societal foundations, including education, finance, law and information systems, with the international intellectual property (IP) framework playing a key role. Ensuring these foundations function fairly and effectively is essential for fostering a lively innovation ecosystem and enabling the transfer of technologies. Respect for efficient IP systems, in particular, underpins the successful diffusion of solutions.
Technology gives responders real-time visibility and predictive foresight
Technologies like AI, digital twins, IoT sensors, and satellite systems empower responders, supporting them in efforts such as anticipating floods before they breach levees, mapping heat risk block-by-block or pre-positioning relief supplies ahead of a cyclone. This results in lives saved, shortened response times and a more efficient use of resources. Real-time situational awareness is improving via IoT sensors that track river levels and temperatures or supply stock in real time, and drones and satellites that provide visibility in places humans cannot safely reach. This supports decision-making, and through predictive supply-chain analytics ensures that food, medicine and shelter arrive at the right place at the right time. Instead of fragmented and delayed reactions, disaster managers can make data-backed, proactive choices that reduce uncertainty, cut losses and save more lives.
Disaster response combines technology with local knowledge and nature-based solutions
Effective disaster response requires blending advanced technologies with practical, locally grounded approaches. In water-related disasters, responses are shifting from reactive sandbags and drainage ditches toward integrated digital–physical resilience. Traditional defenses like levees and seawalls can be layered with smart, adaptive and nature-based systems. Technologies such as AI flood models, satellites and insurance algorithms are most effective when paired with low-tech tools, local knowledge and community-level measures. Innovations increasingly combine elements – drones with ground sensors, crowdsourcing with citizen observations and analytics with traditional practices – to create holistic solutions. Climate resilience grows when sectors dissolve boundaries – like smartphone-linked satellite insurance for farmers, drought-tolerant crops accessible to smallholders, fog harvesters in informal settlements, or flood-resilient housing for vulnerable communities. Disaster logistics are evolving from siloed aid toward interoperable platforms that integrate multi-hazard alerts, inclusive finance and real-time data. Top-down systems, such as the United Nations' Security Communications Cluster (ETC) standardize global responses, while local efforts, such as emergency alerts, are vital on the ground. Balancing centralized coordination with localized action ensures timely, effective and equitable responses.
Proactive is the new reactive
Disaster response communications technologies are enabling a shift from post-disaster reactive, fragmented logistics toward anticipatory systems. AI-enhanced forecasting and digital twins simulate floods, heatwaves and supply chain shocks before they happen. Early warning systems empower authorities to act days in advance. The cross-cutting trend is not simply digitization, but rather a fusion of physical mobility (drones, vehicles, shelters) with digital intelligence (AI, data, communications). AI and predictive analytics are transforming disaster finance and response by enabling the preparation of aid before disasters strike. For example, GiveDirectly used Google AI to deliver targeted pre-disaster cash assistance for hurricane relief. Flood forecasts in Nigeria and Mozambique trigger early insurance payouts, while parametric insurance can provide funds ahead of droughts. Pre-positioned technologies like Field Ready’s Mobile Makerspace support local repairs during floods. AI combined with satellite data enables proactive, flexible aid and shifts disaster management from reactive to anticipatory. Driven in part by the Sendai Framework, there has been a deliberate shift in focus – which has driven technological developments as well – from recovery to preparedness. This has placed an emphasis on early warning systems, digital twins, improved satellites and radar systems, and other advancements.
Information is aid
Technology is essential for disaster communication and coordination. Digital tools are not just support – they are core infrastructure for modern disaster response. No single technology suffices; multi-layered, flexible systems must function, even under stress. Reliable communication saves lives. It requires decentralized and redundant networks: mobile broadband, next-generation networks (NGNs), legacy GSM (2G), satellites, radios and mesh networks all have a vital role to play. Mobile apps, chatbots and alert systems keep communities informed. Early warning systems depend on robust channels combining modern and traditional media. AI and ICT improve forecasting, but messaging must be clear, community-specific and two-way. Seamless coordination across agencies, supported by interoperable, IP-based networks and shared standards, ensures a unified disaster response.
Technology is transforming disaster finance
Disaster finance is no longer just about post-event relief. It is about building systemic resilience before disaster hits. Insurance, cash transfers and anticipatory aid are now seen as core strategies for disaster risk reduction. Parametric and index-based insurance, AI-powered risk models and catastrophe bonds automate payouts, reduce fraud and expand coverage. Digital cash and voucher assistance, enabled by mobile money platforms like M-Pesa and bKash, deliver aid quickly and transparently, even in low-infrastructure areas. Predictive analytics allow pre-disaster disbursements, improving preparedness. These technologies shift risk and impact burdens and help better serve the uninsured.
Effective deployment of disaster response technologies requires public–private collaboration
Effective disaster and humanitarian technology requires strong collaboration between public and private sectors. For example, flood resilience depends on coordination among scientists, engineers, local governments, communities, tech providers and insurers. Flood forecasts combine satellite data (NASA), ground sensors (utilities) and evacuation alerts (telecoms). Rapid data sharing between satellites, drones, and citizen observers is essential, with IoT sensors and crowdsourced observations providing vital ground truth. Disasters evolve rapidly, requiring the instantaneous sharing of data between satellites, drones and community observers. The WFP, IFRC, and startups are co-developing scalable communications technologies, showing that multi-actor ecosystems are essential. Some technologies repurpose military-grade tools and combine AI with physical systems to enable a faster, smarter response.
Disaster technologies are powerful but come with challenges
Technologies hold transformative potential for disaster preparedness and response. But they must be deployed with close attention to data protection, bias, inclusivity and accountability. In disaster response, AI and digital tools offer real-time insights and predictive coordination. Yet they come with major challenges: data quality, algorithmic bias, lack of transparency and privacy risks. Biometric identification systems can reduce fraud and improve efficiency. However, they also risk excluding undocumented individuals or enabling surveillance that can be used in other non-disaster related contexts. AI-driven systems also require careful auditing. For instance, satellite-based damage assessments may unintentionally overlook informal settlements if not properly validated. Without such accountability, technology can reinforce existing inequalities and even overlook already marginalized groups and individuals. Wildfire technologies, especially, reveal deeper societal divides. While wealthier communities can afford fireproof homes, advanced modeling tools and even private fire response services, low-income and marginalized groups may rely on outdated or inaccessible systems. This creates a “protection gap” rooted not in technical capacity, but in social and economic priorities and imbalances. Additionally, technologies must balance fire suppression with ecological wisdom, integrate relevant indigenous knowledge, and ensure equitable access to retrofits and low-cost solutions.
Disaster risk and response technologies are best when inclusive
While technology has revolutionized preparedness for climate-related disasters, its benefits are still unevenly distributed. To avoid deepening a “climate resilience divide,” the focus must shift to democratizing access to these innovations. Vulnerable regions, including least developed countries and small island developing states, face the most risks, yet have the fewest resources. For example, only 50 percent of countries have a multi-hazard early warning system. In this context, technology can become a double-edged sword. While mobile alerts powered by IoT sensors and AI can improve reach and speed, barriers such as cost, digital literacy and algorithmic bias can further marginalize at-risk communities. Open access tools, such as freely available weather apps, open-source climate models and shared risk-mapping platforms, can empower local actors to anticipate, prepare for and respond to risks. Public access to disaster modeling, weather data and risk maps is foundational for innovation – but only if that access includes the most vulnerable communities. It is critical that the data underpinning these multiple warning systems are reliable and of a high quality. This often requires authoritative coordination and quality assurance, especially for data that originates from unverified and multipoint sources such as crowdsourcing and a multitude of sensors of varying quality. Ultimately, the question is not simply what technology can do, but who it protects, who it excludes, and who has the power to shape it. Equity, transparency and inclusive design must guide the development and deployment of disaster technologies.