Japan plans to use "big data" to prevent disaster

Japanese General Administration officials said 19th that the Government intends to work with companies to predict natural disasters with "big data" technology and send early warning and evacuation information to local governments and residents.

Some general administration officials say the government intends to combine data such as existing meteorological records with messages posted on the Internet, to analyze the possibility of disaster in specific areas and to increase the accuracy of disaster prevention information.

For example, the combination of information such as precipitation, river water levels, and news on Twitter, social networking sites, and Facebook may be able to detect early disasters and predict where they will occur.

According to the Ministry of General Affairs, early warning messages will be sent to the governments in the affected areas and then transmitted to the public via radio, television and mobile networks. In the event of an earthquake or tsunami, smartphone users will also be positioned to receive customized information such as evacuation routes and traffic conditions.

The government plans to start testing the technology this summer and officially launch the service in the 2016-2017 fiscal year, Kyodo reported. The Ministry of General Affairs will find local governments, private enterprises and colleges and universities willing to participate in the test by mid-May.

(Responsible editor: The good of the Legacy)