​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Introduction
To kick off the newly established ITU/WMO/UNEP Focus Group on AI for Natural Disaster Management (FG-AI4NDM)​, the International Telecommunication Union​ and the ​​World Meteorological Organization​ organized a workshop to highlight how artificial intelligence is being used around the globe to enhance our understanding of natural disasters and support disaster relief/early warning. The workshop took place on 15 March 2021 from 10:00 -14:00 CET. This was followed by the first meeting of the Focus Group on AI for Natural Disaster Management (FG-AI4NDM)​,​​ taking place from 16​-17 March 2021.

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Objectives

The workshop explored the use of AI to assist with data collection and handling, improve modelling across spatiotemporal scales, and provide effective communication in the event of a natural disaster. Encompassing three sessions, the workshop involved high-caliber scientific and technical presentations followed by interactive discussions. 

Target Audience
The focus group and its workshops are freely open to ITU Member States, Sector Members, Associates and Academic Institutions and to any individual from an ITU member country. This includes  individuals who are members of international, regional and national organizations. 

Participation
Registration was mandatory to attend the workshop. 

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Programme

10:00 – 10:05	Opening Remarks Chaesub Lee, Director, Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, ITU
10:05 – 10:5​0	​Session 1:​ Introduction to ITU/WMO/UNEP FG-AI4NDM  Keynote: Monique Kuglitsch​, Chair of ITU/WMO Focus Group on AI for Natural Disaster Management & Innovation Manager, Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute [ Presentation ]  Keynote: Jurg Luterbacher​, Vice-Chair of the ITU-T Focus Group on “Artificial Intelligence for Natural Disaster Management” (FG-AI4NDM)​ I Director of Science and Innovation and the Chief Scientist of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)  [ Presentation ] ​ Keynote: Muralee Thummarukudy​, Operations Manager, Crisis Management Branch, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)​​
10:50 – 11:50​	​Session 2: AI for data The session will focus on how AI can be used to interpret and monitor data in the context of floods, avalanches, tsunamis, and earthquakes.  Moderator:  Monique Kuglitsch​, Chair of ITU/WMO Focus Group on AI for Natural Disaster Management & Innovation Manager,  Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute​​ Raúl Aquino​, University of Colima: Flash Flooding Monitoring System [ Presentation ] Alec Van Herwijnen​,​ WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF: Using AI to detect and forecast snow avalanches​ [ Presentation ] Brendan Crowell, Research Scientist, Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, University of Washington: Operational GNSS-based Tsunami Warning in the US and an AI Future [ Presentation ] Jannes Münchmeyer, PhD Researcher, GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam​: The transformer earthquake alerting model - How deep learning opens new possibilities in earthquake early warning [ Presentation​​ ] Question & Answers
​        11:50 – 12:00​	Coffee Break
​        12:00 – 13​​:00	Session 3: AI for modeling (reconstruction, forecast, and projecting) ​​The session will delve into the use of AI for modeling (reconstruction, forecast, and projecting) atmospheric hazards and floods. Moderator: Alberto Montanari, President, European Geosciences Union (EGU) and​ Professor of Hydrology and Water Engineering, University of Bologna​ Kei Yoshimura​, University of Tokyo: Flood Prediction for Japan and World: Synergy by Physical Modeling and Machine Learning [ Presentation ] Elena Xoplaki​, Senior Scientist I Acting Head of the Climatology, Climate Dynamics and Climate Change Research Group, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany: Climate Intelligence: Extreme events detection, attribution and adaptation design using machine learning  [ Presentation ] Carlos Gaitan, Co-founder and CTO, Benchmark Labs and American Meteorological Society (AMS) Committee on AI Applications to Environmental Science​: Machine Learning applications for Natural Disaster Management -  Recent contributions to the AMS AI Conference [ Presentation ] Serena Ceola​​, Senior Assistant Professor, University of Bologna​​, Italy: A worldwide analysis of human-water interactions using satellite data​​  [ Presentation​ ] ​Questions & Answers​​
​      13:00 – 13:50	​Session 4: AI for communications​  The session will address how AI can support effective communication in the case of an emergency and the importance of capacity building. Presentations will highlight technical aspects relating to: how telecommunications companies provide warnings; how new technologies can allow warnings to be sent to the public when there are no internet connections or mobile networks) as well as social aspects; how communities can build resilience to extreme events.​  Moderator: Yanchuan Wang, Vice-chair of ITU-T SG2 and ITU-T FG-AI4NDM & China Telecom​ Steven Stichter​, Director, Resilient America Program, National Academies of Science (NAS), United States​​: Potential AI insights for communities and understanding vulnerability [ Presentation ] Rakiya Babamaaji, Vice-Chair of Africa Science and Technology Advisory Group (AfSTAG)​: Africa Science and Technology Advisory Group on Disaster Risk Reduction (Af-STAG DRR)​​ [ Presentation​] Hans (Hyungsoo)​ Kim, Korea Telecom​: AI-based Telecom against Natural Disaster [ Presentation ​] ​Questions & Answers
13:50 – 14​:00​	​​​Closing R​emarks   Bilel Jamoussi​, Chief of  Study Groups, Telecommunication Standardization Bureau​, ITU