Role of IoT in Disaster Monitoring and Response: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

In an age where natural and man-made disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity, the impact of technology is expanding in disaster management. One of these transformative technologies is the Internet of Things (IoT) in disaster management. IoTbased disaster management systems involve monitoring environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity, seismic activity, rainfall, water levels, or gas concentrations, by utilizing sensor nodes deployed in the field to autonomously record relevant data. This recorded data is then transferred to a central sink node or base station, performing as a gateway node for further communication, data collection, and smart decisionmaking. This review article comprehensively explores the critical aspects of the Internet of Things (IoT) in off-site disaster monitoring and management. It offers a broad overview of IoT-enabled disaster management applicable across various disaster types, including earthquakes, floods, forest fires, and nuclear hazards, consisting of sensor networks, supported by wireless communication, cloud computing, and advanced data analytics, that provide real-time understanding, foresight, and automated responses across all four phases of disaster management, including mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. It also highlights the importance of integrating IoT with emergent technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), edge computing, big data, and 5G, which can significantly increase the responsiveness, efficiency, and resilience of disaster management systems. IoT is leading a paradigm shift in disaster management and marking a significant step toward building safer, more resilient communities, offering faster and smarter responses, and improving the potential to predict and prevent crises.