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Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Harnessing Mobile Technology for Flood Disaster Readiness and Response: A Comprehensive Review of Mobile Applications on the Google Play Store
Urban Science, Vol.9(4), pp.1-30
2025
Abstract
The increasing frequency and severity of disasters in urban areas demand sustainable, smart disaster management strategies to leverage technological advancements. This study provides a comprehensive review of mobile apps for disaster awareness available in the Google Play Store, with a particular emphasis on addressing flood disaster readiness and response. Mobile apps have become indispensable tools for disseminating immediate notifications, facilitating emergency communication, and coordinating response activities. A total of 77 mobile apps in the Google Play Store were identified and evaluated using a systematic search. The evaluation criteria included user ratings, download counts, and key crisis management functionalities such as real-time alerts, emergency contact directories, preparedness checklists, and user reporting capabilities. The findings emphasised the following: (a) the importance of integrating cutting-edge technologies, i.e., AI and IoT, to enhance functionality, accuracy, and capacity in mobile applications; (b) the use of crowdsourcing as a valuable mechanism for enriching inclusive and responsible data; (c) enabling timely updates and fostering community engagement; and (d) establishing agency engagements, gamified elements, and real-time reciprocal communication tools, i.e., push-to-talk features to ensure the long-term sustainability of mobile apps. By incorporating these insights, disaster management apps can significantly enhance community resilience and improve the effectiveness of responding to natural disasters in this digital age.
Details
- Title
- Harnessing Mobile Technology for Flood Disaster Readiness and Response: A Comprehensive Review of Mobile Applications on the Google Play Store
- Authors
- Nuwani Kangana - University of MoratuwaNayomi Kankanamge (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and SocietyChathura De Silva - University of MoratuwaRifat Mahamood - University of MoratuwaDaneesha Ranasinghe - University of MoratuwaAshantha Goonetilleke - Queensland University of Technology
- Publication details
- Urban Science, Vol.9(4), pp.1-30
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Date published
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.3390/urbansci9040106
- ISSN
- 2413-8851
- Copyright note
- © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Data Availability
- Data are available upon request from the corresponding author.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Law and Society
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991118152502621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Environmental Sciences
- Environmental Studies
- Geography
- Regional & Urban Planning
- Urban Studies
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