Survey on Risk Reduction in Urban Areas Through Evacuation: The Use of Emerging ICT in Path Choice

Disasters resulting from natural and anthropogenic events cause huge losses around the world every year, highlighting the need for comprehensive risk reduction strategies focused on occurrence, vulnerability, and exposure. Many studies have been developed about reducing occurrence and vulnerability. Reducing exposure through emergency evacuations using existing transport systems is an effective short-term measure while long-term strategies are developed to improve vulnerability and occurrence. Under risk, the transport system works in extraordinary conditions due to physical (road interruptions) and organizational (changes in traffic directions to allow safe places to be reached) disruptions. Appropriate evacuation plans must be prepared using the Transport System Models (TSMs). This work is part of the study focuses on modeling user behavior during urban emergencies, using surveys structured in three levels: (1) user choices under risk conditions, (2) user choices under risk conditions with personal transport knowledge, and (3) how choices change when users are informed through emerging Information and Communication Technologies (eICT). The results of this work firstly show the process of path choices in emergency conditions and then the modification of the choices due to the presence of eICTs. This work provides useful tools for researchers to develop models that explicitly consider eICT and assist planners and risk managers in creating more effective evacuation strategies aligned with the sustainable development goals of Agenda 2030.