Turkey deploys AI‑powered system to boost Istanbul disaster response

The Istanbul Development Agency approved a multi‑year project (Oct 2025–Oct 2026) to digitise disaster management in the city. The initiative will create a real‑time command dashboard that fuses UAV imagery with GIS analytics, and launch Android and iOS mobile apps for field teams. It also includes AI‑driven risk modelling, 3‑D digital twins, automated damage assessment after incidents and training for pilot zones, with participation from municipal utilities, AFAD and local universities.

Separately, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and Istanbul Technical University signed a protocol to build a national observation and decision‑support platform for landslides, rockfalls and earthquake‑triggered mass movements. The system will combine InSAR, LiDAR, satellite data and AI models to map hazards, integrate with AFAD’s Disaster Risk Reduction System (ARAS) and an early‑warning centre, and prioritize protection of hospitals, schools, dams and transport infrastructure.