Natural Hazards Monitoring, Risk Assessment, Modelling and Management in the Artificial Intelligence Era

Dear Colleagues,

Natural hazards such as floods, landslides, droughts, volcanic eruptions, forest fires, and earthquakes have always affected the Earth and human life, shaping the evolution of our planet and life. In recent years, climate change coupled with the growing and not homogeneously distributed anthropic pressure have increased the severity and frequencies of natural hazards (NHs). NHs thus require innovative ways of predicting and mitigating their occurrence in order to save vulnerable communities who are at risk. The management of natural hazard risks requires a holistic approach, integrating different methodologies and data to ensure a comprehensive overview of the entire phenomena in all its phases. Ground information, drones, satellites, and modelled data should be combined and integrated by using different approaches/technologies in attempt to enhance their main advantages of providing reliable and continuous information.

In this regard, Decision Support Systems (DSSs) can improve decision-making and provide support to identify areas of high risk. However, classic DSSs commonly rely on static models and pre-established rules that do not adapt to the complex and dynamic natural environments of today. Thus, it is paramount to monitor and assess NHs for risk management and better provide DSSs for risk mitigation and minimizing infrastructure losses arising from these NHs. DSSs in the age of AI can generate actionable insights and better understand the natural hazard risk-prone areas by applying machine learning or deep learning models to process large volumes of different kinds of data and recognize patterns. The field of natural hazards is considered to be one where AI can save human lives and losses by better predicting natural hazards, enabling timely preparedness and, when they happen, provide mitigation strategies to better manage them. In addition to managing natural hazards, several other applications of these AI techniques can be used, such as predicting structural vulnerability to seismic events, landslides, and flood risk management and monitoring. The use of innovative technologies, such as digital twins, AI, and DSSs, can support natural risk assessment at the spatial level but also within the urban environment. Consequently, it can support urban planning choices and governance as a result of scenario assessments and data-driven predictive models in order to make more sustainable choices.

The integration of AI with digital twin improves the analytical and operational capabilities of geospatial systems, which through the analysis of historical data and the integration of real-time information (IoT) are able to highlight even “hidden patterns” in the data, identifying new models capable of improving forecasts with greater control over the quantification of uncertainty and the variability of the phenomenon analysed.

This Topic aims to focus on natural hazard assessment, monitoring, and management to understand the risks of natural hazards, such as floods, landslides, droughts, and seismic events. This Topic invites the submission of articles focused on, but not limited to, the following areas:

• Monitoring of natural hazards for risk assessment and communication.
• Digital twins (DTs)/prototypes of DTs in natural hazard forecasting, early warning, monitoring, and supporting tools for urban governance.
• DSSs to extract meaningful information in the artificial intelligence era, eventually serving to reduce risk and provide support tools to mitigate natural hazards.
• The role of AI and digital twins to assess the economic impacts of natural hazards and the cost-effectiveness of various mitigation strategies.
• Novel techniques to analyse big data coming from Earth observation platforms, drones, and other geospatial data in order to provide timely information related to the extend, exposure, and impacts of natural hazards.

Dr. Raffaele Albano
Dr. Teodosio Lacava
Dr. Antonietta Varasano
Dr. Ida Giulia Presta
Dr. Mayank Mishra
Dr. Meriam Lahsaini
Topic Editors