Pakistan enhances disaster response through AI and system reviews

In response to Pakistan’s high climate vulnerability and the challenges of rapid-onset disasters, new technological and systemic efforts are being implemented to improve emergency response and warning systems.

AI Automation Specialist Najeeb Zahra has developed SafeAI, an intelligent disaster-response assistant powered by Google Gemini technology. The platform serves as a centralized hub for crisis information, offering features such as a hospital finder using live data, meteorological updates, an emergency directory, and standardized disaster manuals. The toolkit also includes practical utilities like live location sharing for rescuers, battery diagnostics, and a digital compass.

Simultaneously, UNESCO has initiated a review of Pakistan’s Flood Early Warning System (FEWS) following devastating monsoon seasons in 2022 and 2025. While the country has improved its hydro-meteorological monitoring and river flow prediction, recent fast-onset floods highlighted a lack of effective lead time for communities to act on warnings. The review aims to strengthen the entire warning chain, focusing on impact-based forecasting and community-level response to hazards like flash floods and Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs).