Recent Developments in Preventing and Managing Disasters
A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Earth Sciences".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 867
Special Issue Editor
Interests: earth sciences; natural hazards; prevention and management of disasters induced by natural hazards; environmental, disaster, and crises management strategies; impact of natural hazards on public health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In recent years, countries worldwide have increasingly confronted severe disasters from geological and hydro-meteorological hazards like earthquakes, floods, and fires, along with secondary impacts such as landslides, tsunamis, and erosion. The intensification of hydro-meteorological events, largely fueled by climate change, has heightened both their frequency and severity, posing unprecedented challenges for disaster prevention and management globally. Furthermore, the simultaneous occurrence and parallel evolution of different types of hazards (e.g., geophysical and biological) has resulted in compound disasters, leading to the emergence of many challenges and conflicting issues in disaster prevention and management. Managing and reducing the risks associated with disasters is critical not only for human safety but also for preserving property and environmental resources. To effectively mitigate disaster risks, a structured approach is necessary, involving prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery phases, each relying on interdisciplinary collaboration and multi-agency coordination. Key components of this approach include leveraging technological advancements such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, artificial intelligence (AI), and big data analytics (BDA), among others. These technologies significantly improve hazard and disaster monitoring and mapping, as well as facilitate accurate hazard and risk assessment and reduction. Remote sensing tools—such as satellites, sensors, and drones—enable real-time monitoring of high-risk zones, allowing for swift and informed responses in areas requiring immediate intervention.
This Special Issue aims to highlight the most recent developments in prevention and management of disasters, emphasizing the latest scientific, operational and technological developments in this field and their synergies, as well as relevant disaster and crisis prevention and management strategies. Original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the integration of modern and innovative applications and synergies of GIS, remote sensing, BDA and AI as follows:
- Studying the individual phases of the disaster management cycle (prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery).
- Mapping hazard-prone areas, planning evacuation routes, mapping, monitoring, and assessing disasters, and managing resources during disaster response.
- Real-time monitoring and damage assessment of generated disasters, and early detection of potential disasters.
- Analyzing large datasets to predict disaster trends, assess hazards and risks, and optimize resource allocation.
Dr. Spyridon Mavroulis
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- natural hazards
- disasters
- disaster management cycle
- prevention
- management
- response
- recovery
- GIS
- remote sensing
- big data analytics
- AI
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