Policymakers can better predict where heat waves or storm surges are likely to wreak the most havoc by cataloguing which neighborhoods have more impervious surfaces like sidewalks and driveways compared to permeable ground with vegetation and trees, according to Toronto-based Ecopia AI. The maps are being created for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as part of a project to assist coastal communities in the United States that are vulnerable to extreme weather.
"The rapidly changing environment drives the need for more precise decision making," said Jon Lipinski, co-founder and president of Ecopia AI, in an interview. "By better understanding which communities are vulnerable to climate-related impacts like flooding or urban heat islands, you can drive more equality in policy and funding decisions."
Many of the world's most vulnerable populations and economies are already bearing the brunt of global warming, from record heat waves in India to floods in Pakistan. Even in wealthier parts of the world, such as North America and Western Europe, more extreme weather often has a disproportionate impact on society's poorest and most disenfranchised.
Some activists and environmental justice organizations were disappointed that President Joe Biden's administration did not allocate more funds for climate adaptation in low-income and minority communities in the sweeping US Inflation Reduction Act signed into law this month.
The detailed maps created by Ecopia AI will be used to improve storm preparedness and recovery, as well as make it easier to assess which infrastructure and populations are most vulnerable, said Nicholas Schmidt, chief of NOAA's science and geospatial services division, in a statement announcing the partnership. Ecopia AI's data will be used in the agency's Coastal Change Analysis Program and will be available next year through its Digital Coast site.
Local and federal government agencies from Canada to Australia are already utilizing Ecopia AI's technology to do everything from determining where more sidewalks should be built to monitoring tree canopy. Insurers such as Farmers Insurance and Tokio Marine rely on the firm's high-precision maps.
The Collier County Sheriff's Office in Florida announced in July that it would use Ecopia AI's technology to map property driveways and connected pavements across the county in order to help first responders arrive faster during emergencies.