Using Drones and AI to Map Informal Settlements for Flood Prevention
BBC programme explores how technology is helping authorities in South Africa and Brazil anticipate and mitigate flooding risks in vulnerable informal settlements
Quick Look
- A BBC World Service programme examining how drones and artificial intelligence are being used to map informal settlements in Alexandra, Johannesburg and Porto Alegre, Brazil.
- The project aims to help authorities prevent the worst impacts of flooding by answering crucial questions about population, building materials, and flood resilience in these vulnerable areas.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
With urbanization accelerating globally, informal settlements face heightened flood risks due to inadequate infrastructure and lack of formal planning. Authorities often lack basic data about these areas, making disaster preparedness extremely challenging.
With more and more people moving to cities, informal settlements are expected to grow. When floods hit these unplanned places, it can be disastrous, as we often don't know much about them. Crucial questions often remain difficult to answer, like how many people live there, what are the buildings made of, and could they withstand a flood? In the township of Alexandra in Johannesburg, the BBC's Nomsa Maseko visits a project using drones and artificial intelligence to help authorities prevent the worst impacts of flooding. And in Porto Alegre in the south of Brazil, we hear how an innovative digital map helped the emergency response – and will soon be available to all for free across the world. This programme was first broadcast in 2024. You can email us at [email protected] Guests: Rodrigo Rocha, Partner at the Responsive Cities Institute, Porto Alegre Dr Caroline Gevaert, Associate Professor at the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, University of Twente Nomsa Maseko, the BBC's South Africa Correspondent Presenter: Jordan Dunbar Producer: Osman Iqbal Researcher: Octavia Woodward Sound mix: Tom Brignell Editors: Sophie Eastaugh and Simon Watts Image: Reuters Programme Website
Open Questions
- How many informal settlements worldwide could benefit from this technology?
- What are the costs of implementing drone and AI mapping at scale?
- How quickly can this data be updated to reflect settlement changes?
