Fig. 3: Summary of case studies using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to manage extreme events.

Four case studies (drought, heatwaves, wildfires, and floods) are showcased where AI enables detection, forecasting, impact assessment, explanation, understanding, and communication of risk, providing a comprehensive solution for disaster management. a Droughts. Top: AI leverages multimodal data to predict Earth’s surface dynamics, enhancing forecasts for crop yields, forest health, and drought impacts. Bottom: XAI techniques, like “neuron integrated gradients,” elucidate the key factors driving severe drought conditions, highlighting variable interactions over time. b Heatwaves. Top: Variables of interest are extracted from heterogeneous data sources (images, time series, text) and potentially aggregated over space and/or time. Bottom Left: Relevant features can be extracted from the data using clustering techniques, for example. Right: Heatwave prediction can be done by combining dimensionality reduction tools or directly from the selected features. c Wildfires. Top: AI enhances understanding and prediction of wildfire dynamics, particularly for mega-fires intensified by global warming, by analyzing extensive datasets and differentiating fire types with XAI. Bottom: AI combined with causal inference aims to better detect and understand pyrocumulonimbus clouds, intense storm systems generated by large wildfires that complicate fire behavior prediction. d Floods. AI transforms flood risk communication by using realistic 3D visualizations and animations to depict rising water levels' impact on communities and infrastructure, making the information more relatable (thisclimatedoesnotexist.com). AI-driven platforms analyze vast amounts of data from weather forecasts, river levels, and historical flood patterns to predict future events accurately, integrating this information with digital maps and urban models to identify high-risk areas (climate-viz.github.io.com). This approach enhances flood risk management by allowing targeted, personalized communication, enabling residents to receive specific alerts and visualize potential impacts on their homes. AI also supports the generation of detailed flood reports from various sources, enhancing preparedness and mitigation efforts (floodbrain.com).