3rd Workshop “Social Media for Disaster Risk Management: Researchers meet Practitioners”

This JRC report encapsulates the discussions and findings of the third Workshop on Social Media for Disaster Risk Management, which convened in June 2023. The workshop aimed to explore the evolving role of social media in enhancing disaster risk management practices by bridging the gap between researchers and practitioners. A diverse group of stakeholders, including policymakers, academics, technology experts, and emergency responders, engaged in rich dialogues to scrutinize the current capabilities, limitations, and future potential of social media tools in crisis situations.

The sessions highlighted innovative uses of social media data, emphasizing real-time data's critical role in improving response times and decision-making accuracy during disasters. Key topics included the integration of artificial intelligence to filter and analyse vast amounts of data, the challenges of data veracity, and the ethical considerations surrounding privacy and misinformation.

This workshop not only reinforced the importance of social media as a pivotal information resource during emergencies but also set the stage for further interdisciplinary collaborations aimed at developing more robust, reliable, and responsive disaster management tools. The conclusions drawn underscore the urgent need for standardized protocols and training to harness the full potential of social media, ensuring it becomes a cornerstone of disaster risk management strategies globally.