Blockchain Technology for Disaster Management

Dear Colleagues,

The recent Coronavirus pandemic clearly demonstrates the need for global coordination for the timely management of disasters resulting from natural or anthropogenic hazards. Technologies such as blockchains and distributed ledgers in general can contribute significantly to meeting this need, by supporting the fast sharing of trustable data on wide area networks such as the internet in a transparent, immutable, and traceable way, while providing adequate levels of privacy and protection through the use of cryptographic techniques. Furthermore, through smart contracts, which are programs that link transactions on blockchains according to predefined schemes, it is possible to automate the execution of complex contractual relationships involving stakeholders of all kinds. The contribution of blockchain technology to disaster management can therefore be twofold:

1. by timely sharing of trustable and traceable data relating to relevant aspects of hazards spreading over large geographical areas, such as epidemics and pandemics.
2. by automating the management of humanitarian aids to disaster-affected areas, through traceable transactions and smart contracts that enable rapid transfers of emergency reliefs and prevent scams in their use and allocation.

Topics of interest in this Special Issue include, but are not limited to the following:

• transcription and management on blockchain of disaster-related data
• integration of blockchain and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies for hazard surveillance and monitoring
• smart contracts for the management of aid requests and relief deliveries
• governance issues in blockchain-based disaster management
• case studies of blockchain-based disaster management

Prof. Dr. Remo Pareschi
Guest Editor

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• Blockchain
• Distributed Ledger
• Smart Contracts
• Internet of Things
• Hazard Monitoring
• Disaster Management
• Humanitarian Aid
• Emergency Relief
• Blockchain Governance.