Tokyo [Japan], July 6: Around 80% of Japan's 47 prefectures and 20 major cities have used drones at disaster sites, a Kyodo News survey showed Saturday, underscoring growing recognition of unmanned aircraft as an effective disaster response tool.
Momentum for drone utilisation has been spurred in part by their role in last year's earthquake that struck the hard-to-reach Noto Peninsula in central Japan, where they delivered supplies to isolated communities and assessed damage from the air.
The survey, conducted between May and June, found that 50 local governments used their own drones at disaster sites, while 13 also deployed unmanned aerial vehicles provided by external organizations. Two prefectures said they do not own drones but use ones operated by private groups under formal agreements.
Drones were used in a wide range of disasters, including earthquakes, river floods, landslides, tornadoes, undersea volcanic eruptions and avalanches.
The most commonly cited use for drones, with multiple answers allowed, was assessing situations through aerial photography and data collection. Respondents also reported using them to inspect hard-to-reach areas such as bridge piers and to search for people trapped in collapsed buildings.
In response to a central government report on the Noto Peninsula earthquake highlighting the use of drones in various roles, 38 local authorities said they had signed agreements with private organisations or purchased their own drones, while 14 said they were considering similar steps.
The top challenge cited was securing and training personnel to operate drones, followed by the cost of purchasing them and limited knowledge of relevant laws and flight permissions.
Source: Emirates News Agency
