4th Industrial Revolution Technologies and their role in the future of Disaster Risk Reduction in Southern Africa.csv

Created on 30 Jan 2025 - 14:24 by CHRISTO COETZEELast edited on 30 Jan 2025 - 14:34Rising inequality, urbanisation, resource depletion, climate change, and increased exposure to disasters are hampering the ability of developing countries to achieve their goals for disaster risk reduction and sustainable development. As we enter a period of transition to the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR), new technologies are starting to emerge that could assist in the management, reduction and mitigation of reoccurring disasters that reverse developmental gains. Despite being blessed with a youthful population and abundant natural resources that would make the region a fertile proving ground for integrating 4IR technologies into disaster risk management, it remains unclear if and how 4IR technologies are already used to manage disaster risk. Additionally, it is unclear what socio-economic, political, and governance obstacles could hamper the integration of 4IR technologies in disaster risk management in the region. Consequently, this research aims to identify the current status quo of the integration of 4IR technologies within disaster risk management in the region, as well as identify contemporary obstacles that hamper efforts to realise the full potential of 4IR technologies in the provision of disaster risk management (DRM) services.