Two
earthquakes that occurred in southern Turkey and Syria early on Monday morning
and measured 7.8 and 7.5 on the Richter scale are still wreaking havoc around
the world.
International
aid organisations, humanitarian organisations, military forces, government
agencies, and business sector organisations have all been working to help the
affected areas as the total number of fatalities reached 11,000 by Wednesday.
Modern
technology has been one area that has offered some solutions.
Drones
are helpful instruments during natural disasters like earthquakes, despite
their growing reputation as weapons in contemporary conflict.
Henk Jan
Gerzee, chief product officer at the Digital Container Shipping Association,
told Arab News on Wednesday at the LEAP conference in Riyadh that "drones
for definitely play a big part in Turkiye as we speak."
Drones
can give a clearer picture of what has transpired, said Gerzee, who was on the
panel discussing "Drones and Autonomous Vehicles."
The
cameras on drones have the highest resolution possible. In order to identify
individuals, they can also be fitted with heat sensors.
They can
transport smaller cargo and medical supplies. They are also capable of
detecting harmful gases like methane.
In
addition to participating in the debate, Dr. Jassim Haji, president of the
Artificial Intelligence Society, emphasised the role AI can play in such
disasters, including anticipating extreme events, creating hazard maps, and
assisting with situational awareness and decision support.
Hearing
the heartbeats of people trapped under wreckage and rubble is made possible by
NASA technology. After earthquakes, its technology has frequently been applied.
After an
earthquake struck the Nepalese town of Chautara in 2015, four men were buried
beneath mud, brick, wood, and other debris. The NASA FINDER tool was able to
find them.
The same
approach was applied in 2017 following an earthquake that struck Mexico City
and measured 7.1.
Within
hours on Monday, the UN used its emergency mapping satellite service, a live
map that displays the damage caused by an earthquake and its magnitude.
However,
political strife may ultimately decide whether or not relief reaches countries
affected by natural catastrophes swiftly.
Under the
condition of anonymity, a resident of northeastern Syria told Arab News:
"The primary problem is that aid has been politicised, so even if this
technology is accessible, it is possible that it won't reach these
places."
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