Data spaces for disaster management

Abstract

This White Paper examines the potential of data spaces in disaster management, using Germany as an example. Local emergency services, municipalities and higher levels of government need to work together in emergencies. However, a fragmented IT landscape and interoperability issues often hinder this coordination.

Data spaces offer a promising solution. They are decentralised, federated systems that securely and efficiently connect different data sources, meeting the needs of many possible actors. These features are crucial in the context of disaster management, in which emergency services, private companies, research institutions, and private citizens combine in ever-changing constellations. The exchanged data are also diverse. These fall into three broad categories: open data, protected data from public bodies, and protected data held by companies or relating to private individuals. This categorisation helps to optimally design the systems for data protection and sovereignty.

Actors in the disaster management ecosystem gain many advantages from data spaces. For example, authorities can deploy them to increase the efficiency in communication and coordination between the decision-making levels, or to improve crisis prevention, e.g. through simulations. Data availability also improves preparedness and communication among emergency responders, reducing response times. In private companies, using data spaces reduces compliance costs, for example those incurred under the EU Data Act (DA). Furthermore, companies gain access to new markets and develop new business models – particularly by providing data-based services.

Recent crises – such as the floods of 2021 and 2024 and the COVID-19 pandemic – highlight the urgent need for data-based and flexible strategies to prepare for and manage crises. An example from the HERAKLION project shows the potential of data use for crisis management. The use case focuses on a flood scenario and demonstrates how geodata, terrain models, and regional statistics combine to improve preparedness, response, and recovery.

Acknowledgement

The presented work results from a cooperation with the Gaia-X Hub Austria and is funded in part by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) within the program “Research for Civil Security” (www.sifo.de) on the project HERAKLION (www.heraklion-projekt.de, Vertrags-Nr. 13N16293).