This article provides a literature review of state-of-the-art machine learning (ML) algorithms for disaster and pandemic management. Most nations are concerned about disasters and pandemics, which, in general, are highly unlikely events. To date, various technologies, such as IoT, object sensing, UAV, 5G, and cellular networks, smartphone-based system, and satellite-based systems have been used for disaster and pandemic management. ML algorithms can handle multidimensional, large volumes of data that occur naturally in environments related to disaster and pandemic management and are particularly well suited for important related tasks, such as recognition and classification. ML algorithms are useful for predicting disasters and assisting in disaster management tasks, such as determining crowd evacuation routes, analyzing social media posts, and handling the post-disaster situation. ML algorithms also find great application in pandemic management scenarios, such as predicting pandemics, monitoring pandemic spread, disease diagnosis, etc. This article first presents a tutorial on ML algorithms. It then presents a detailed review of several ML algorithms and how we can combine these algorithms with other technologies to address disaster and pandemic management. It also discusses various challenges, open issues and, directions for future research.

Disaster and Pandemic Management Using Machine Learning: A Survey

Natural Disasters have threatened mankind since history started. Due to geographic position and climate change, Bangladesh is one of most vulnerable countries to natural disasters. The country also lacks effective disaster preparedness system to confront natural disasters. Timely disaster warning and evacuation guideline can save lives of the people. In addition, a tourist or a blind people may face difficulties in finding safe area or shelter place prior to the occurrence of natural disasters. For this reason, we have proposed a location based early disaster warning and evacuation system for both normal and blind people using OpenStreetMap (OSM). The system is implemented on android mobile phone because of the burgeoning growth of smart phones in Bangladesh. So, our system comprises a third-party server named Disaster Management Server (DMS), android device with our application installed on it and user. The local weather office updates the disaster (tsunami, cyclone or flood) data on DMS. Device user registers on Android Cloud to Device Messaging (C2DM) server to get automatic notification of upcoming disaster otherwise user gets manual notification. The user communicates with DMS to have updated data sending the current position obtained by GPS or network provider. The probable disaster affected area is determined by ray casting algorithm. When our application recognizes the user in probable disaster zone then application will disseminate visual and audio disaster warning and evacuation guideline including shortest path of shelter or safe zone on the map of the application. Evacuation progress is also tracked using DMS and national identification of user. The experimental result demonstrates the effectiveness of our system.

Location based early disaster warning and evacuation system on mobile phones using OpenStreetMap

In this paper, the development of simple and low cost Android based wireless notice board is presented. The proposed system uses either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi based wireless serial data communication. For this purpose Android based application programs for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi communication between Android based personal digital assistant devices and remote wireless display board are used. At receiver end, a low cost microcontroller board (Arduino Uno) is programmed to receive and display messages in any of the above communication mode. Using the developed system, two different applications for displaying messages on a remote digital notice board and wireless person calling has been implemented. The developed system will therefore aims in wirelessly sharing the information with intended users and also helps in saving the time and the cost for paper and printing hardware.

Development of simple and low cost Android based wireless notice board

Meeting: ISCRAM2007, 4th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, 13-16, May, 2008, Delft, NL

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Hazard warnings in Sri Lanka : challenges of internetworking with common alerting protocol

Purpose – Communication of an impending hazard to people in near real time is critical. The purpose of this paper is to develop an internet‐SMS based geo‐hazard warning communication system.Design/methodology/approach – A warning system based on an internet‐resident concept and the available cellular mobile infrastructure is proposed in this study. The functionality of the system is modular in architecture.Findings – The messages have been transmitted in a set of 20 SMSs six times, to locally‐owned mobile numbers, resulting in a total number of 120. It has been found that 58 messages got delivered within ten seconds, the rest within 40 more seconds. The threat messages reached the impending threat areas within acceptable time delay.Originality/value – The paper describes the implementation of a novel and stand‐alone system for dynamic hazard warning. Cellular or mobile phone, a gadget used by common man, is expected to be the best proposition to effectively warn people individually and to propagate hazard...

Wireless hazard communication system

The paper describes the design and development of an alarm device that can disseminate disaster early warnings to threatened communities over the GSM network. The device is capable of generating audible, high-volume alarms, flashlights and turning on an in-built radio in response to a warning message from an authorized entity via GSM's short message service (SMS) or cell broadcast (CB). The design of the device follows international guidelines on emergency communications, such as the ability to reach a large number of people very fast, awaken sleeping communities, and be able to acknowledge warning messages. The alarm has been designed as a last-mile technology in a larger Disaster Early Warning network (DEWN). It is intended to be place in selected locations such as police stations, places of religious places and community centres. Thus the DEWN System and thus the Alarm Device presents a unique opportunity to test the concept of "GSM for Warning".

Gamini Jayasinghe

Papers

A GSM Alarm Device for Disaster Early Warning