Smart cities with digital twin systems for disaster management

Abstract

Cities and their supporting infrastructure (e.g., energy supply, water management, transportation, and telecommunications) are becoming larger, more complex, and intertwined. At the same time, climate change poses new challenges for urban populations around the world, increasing the potential impact of extreme events on densely populated areas and calling for better strategies and emergency procedures in disaster management organizations. In recent years, digital twins have emerged as a potent tool for simulating and assessing the functionality of vital urban services and various facets of daily life. Moreover, they offer a means to design, assess, and refine emergency response strategies for addressing significant urban crises. This contribution aligns with the broader goal of fostering smarter and more resilient cities. This chapter delves into the utilization of digital twin systems for addressing preparedness to urban extreme events through the design and evaluation of contingency plans. We conduct an analysis of factors pertinent to characterizing these scenarios within the framework of smart cities, identifying opportunities and challenges for using digital twins with that purpose.