A systematic literature review on the use of big data analytics in humanitarian and disaster operations

Abstract

AbstractAt the start of this review, 168 million individuals required humanitarian assistance, at the conclusion of the research, the number had risen to 235 million. Humanitarian aid is critical not just for dealing with a pandemic that occurs once every century, but more for assisting amid civil conflicts, surging natural disasters, as well as other kinds of emergencies. Technology's dependability to support humanitarian and disaster operations has never been more pertinent and significant than it is right now. The ever-increasing volume of data, as well as innovations in the field of data analytics, present an incentive for the humanitarian sector. Given that the interaction between big data and humanitarian and disaster operations is crucial in the coming days, this systematic literature review offers a comprehensive overview of big data analytics in a humanitarian and disaster setting. In addition to presenting the descriptive aspects of the literature reviewed, the results explain review of existent reviews, the current state of research by disaster categories, disaster phases, disaster locations, and the big data sources used. A framework is also created to understand why researchers employ various big data sources in different crisis situations. The study, in particular, uncovered a considerable research disparity in the disaster group, disaster phase, and disaster regions, emphasising how the focus is on reactionary interventions rather than preventative approaches. These measures will merely compound the crisis, and so is the reality in many COVID-19-affected countries. Implications for practice and policy-making are also discussed.