Using Virtual Reality Technology as a Tool in Disaster Risk Reduction

Natural and manmade disasters cause governments and the general public billions of dollars annually. Though most hazards cannot be prevented, the loss of life and capital associated with hazards can be mitigated through effective management, practices and policies that are based on reliable observations and sound science. New technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) provide exciting opportunities to further advance (i) scientific understanding of hazards, vulnerabilities and impacts and (ii) simulate post impact conditions and (iii) practice post-impact activities that improve the effectiveness and efficiency of response actions. In recent years, off-the-shelf VR and AR technologies have become easily accessible and common among the general population. The Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) is currently working with national and regional partners to examine a broad spectrum of applications that can benefit from VR/AR technologies. For the purposes of this presentation, we demonstrate the application of VR technologies by integrating WRF and WaveWatch-3 outputs into a virtual island-scale platform capable of visualizing pre-and post-impact imagery as well as physiographic information. The platform provides insights into (i) new and emerging hydro-meteorological impact-based forecasting platforms that support training and day-to-day operations, (ii) rapid post-impact analysis, (iii) risk management, and (iv) advanced situational awareness for first responders and decision-makers. Operational testing of the platform is currently being carried out with regional partners.