Qureshi Shares Expertise on Disaster Risk Reduction Technology in U.N. Report
Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, satellite imaging and early warning systems are helping transform understanding, preparation and response surrounding disaster risks across geographies.
To explore this topic, Freese and Nichols Water Resources Planner Rameez Qureshi served as the lead author of the first chapter in the “Special Report on the Use of Technology for Disaster Risk Reduction (Tech4DRR)” report published by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).
The chapter, titled “A Systems Approach for Identifying and Evaluating Context-Specific Technologies for Disaster Risk Reduction,” was a collaboration between the UNDRR, NASA, Regional Science and Technical Advisory Group (RSTAG) and the Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies.
Rameez explores how technology can support disaster risk reduction globally, explains how technology can support advanced methods (such as probabilistic risk assessment), and reflects on current and future applications of technology. The chapter draws on global examples to show how tools can support data gathering, risk modeling and multi-hazard assessments at different scales.
To read the report, download the file on the UNDRR’s website.
International influence on community resilience
Western Gulf Coast Division Manager Chuck Wolf said Rameez’s work is redefining the way policy makers, communities and countries should look at resilience, from both natural and human-driven causes. The report is an avenue for the United Nations to work with countries and give them the resources they need to better define their resilience and find ways to improve it.
Rameez was Chuck’s research partner and PhD student after Hurricane Harvey destroyed Houston in 2017. The two wanted to determine how well a community could rebuild after a disaster by looking at habitation – what you need to live in your home normally – and community resilience. Through that work, Rameez was connected with the UNDRR via their internship program and focused on measuring the resilience of countries.
In the U.N. report chapter, Rameez said, “we emphasize the need to view disaster risk through a systems lens. Risks often cut across sectors like health, infrastructure and the environment, so it is essential to understand their interconnections. We also highlight the role of local knowledge, particularly in communities that live with risk every day, and stress that these perspectives are often key to creating effective solutions.”
Rameez’s involvement in the report builds on his role within the RSTAG, a network of experts who advise the UNDRR on scientific and technical matters. Through RSTAG, he works with researchers and practitioners across the Americas and the Caribbean to help integrate evidence-based strategies into national and regional disaster planning, promote knowledge sharing and encourage the responsible use of science and technology.
Putting our company values into action, Rameez placed value on learning and sharing knowledge to highlight why people and communities need to be the center of disaster planning to build stronger, safer places to live.
“Writing this chapter gave me a chance to learn, grow, and connect with experts across different regions,” Rameez said. “We explored how technology is being used in real-world settings to help communities reduce disaster risk. That kind of hands-on learning, through conversations, research, and shared experiences, directly supports the work I do in water resources planning.”
A resource for decision-makers
After completing his internship, Rameez organized an event to explore potential collaboration opportunities between Texas A&M University researchers and the UNDRR. That led to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Texas A&M and UNDRR.
This report is curated for decision-makers – government officials, policy advisors, engineers, scientists and community leaders who are responsible for investing in tools, designing early warning systems or managing infrastructure and emergency services – and researchers who are building solutions.
The report also recognizes the vital role communities play in disaster planning, especially those that face risk regularly.
“Their insights and lived experience are central to making these tools work in the real world,” Rameez said. “We wanted this report to be a resource that connects the dots between technology, policy and practice. It encourages collaboration across sectors and disciplines. This report is for anyone committed to using science, technology and local knowledge to help communities become safer and more resilient.”
Rameez completed this chapter during his free time – his role as a resiliency resource was secondary to his job at Freese and Nichols. He combines his entrepreneurial and professional lives by moving these resiliency policies forward and using them to make an impact on the firm while helping with regional water plans.