THIS year’s Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction will showcase how satellites, drones, and artificial intelligence (AI) can boost disaster risk reduction (DRR).
Scheduled Oct. 14-18 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City, the event will explore the potential of these technologies to enhance disaster prediction, preparedness, and response.
Experts said AI has become crucial to achieving resilience with the growing frequency of disasters,
“As climate change intensifies disaster risks, integrating technologies like AI and space-based systems into our DRR strategies is vital for a safer, more resilient future. APMCDRR serves as a platform for collaboration on solutions that protect both people and the environment,” said Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga.
In recent years, the Philippines has advanced its disaster management through AI-powered tools, including initiatives under GeoRisk Philippines, a multi-agency initiative led by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) and funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
GeoRisk was created to provide protocols and platforms to share hazards, exposure, and other risk information to help people, communities, local governments, and national agencies prepare and plan how to reduce the risks from natural hazards.
Led by Secretary Renato Solidum of the Department of Science and Technology and Professor Saini Yang of the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR), the conference will highlight how AI, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), satellite technologies, and local and indigenous knowledge can improve weather forecasts and risk assessments.
These innovations, attuned to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, aim to reduce disaster risks and protect lives and livelihoods.
Discussions during the conference are expected to emphasize blending modern technology with nature-based solutions and traditional practices to safeguard ecosystems from climate impacts—an issue especially relevant to the Philippines, local and indigenous knowledge.
