CTI Engineering Co., Ltd. has started an evacuation solutions service that reflects local characteristics and actual resident behavior!

We have started providing an evacuation solutions service that reflects local characteristics and actual resident behavior for enhancing the speed and accuracy of disaster responses, such as issuance of evacuation information and establishment of evacuation centers when flooding occurs.

　

1. Background

Recent years have witnessed a spate of natural disasters with short lead times, such as urban flooding and flooding from small to medium-sized rivers, as well as landslides. These circumstances have made it ever more important to tailor evacuation responses to finer levels of local characteristics and actual resident behavior during disasters.

In general, methods such as questionnaire surveys were employed to identify local characteristics and actual resident behavior and reflect them in evacuation responses. However, surveys are time-consuming and lack sufficient objectivity due to respondent bias.

　

2. About our service

Taking note that people flow big data, which is utilized for store rollout marketing and other fields, provides objective information on people's movements during disasters, we will be offering an evacuation solutions service that uses such data to reflect local characteristics and actual resident behavior.

Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, we use people flow big data to identify the evacuation time, the congestion circumstances, and the situation of people making their way to evacuation centers. Based on the flooding characteristics of the district (e.g., flood location, flooding depth, rate of water level increase), the appropriate timing for issuing evacuation information, the evacuation routes, and the areas covered by evacuation centers are revised accordingly (see Figure 2). By doing so, we can support the creation and updates of guidelines, including staff action manuals to help enhance the speed and accuracy of disaster responses.

　

Figure 1. Using people flow big data to review evacuation responses

　

Figure 2. The areas covered by evacuation centers were revised based on people's actual behavior during disasters (example)

　

3. Future prospects

As real-time people flow data becomes more widespread and better, we will work to develop a system that will further enhance the accuracy of disaster responses.