133 A geographic approach has helped revolutionize how communities adapt to climate impacts and mitigate damages of extreme weather events by adopting resilience strategies. GIS technology significantly enhances adaptation, resilience, and mitigation efforts with interactive maps that visualize climate risks, forecast future conditions, and identify vulnerable areas. This geospatial analysis is crucial for communities to understand and address weather related hazards. By integrating various data layers, such as demographic information and environmental conditions, GIS supports decision-making and resource allocation. Oklahoma City used GIS to address extreme heat challenges, including identifying hot spots with high temperatures and poor air quality. This map enabled targeted interventions to prevent heat-related illnesses and deaths. GIS mapping also revealed critical gaps in air quality monitoring, which could lead to costly penalties if unaddressed. In addition to prioritizing neighborhoods needing interventions, GIS analysis has been used to measure the effectiveness of different strategies being used to mitigate rising temperatures. GIS provides a shared view of condition to enhance collaboration and accelerate resilience. Many of the world’s coral reefs are experiencing stress due to climate change. A digital twin approach is being used to create highly realistic and navigable 3D model of coral reefs. This technology enhances understanding by allowing scientists and researchers to visualize and analyze complex data in a more accessible and interactive way. Researchers can use the digital twin to examine coral growth, interactions, and resilience against stressors like pollution and extreme weather. Tuvalu, a low-lying Pacific island nation has adopted GIS to create a digital twin understand the impacts of sea level rise. The digital twin provides a detailed 3D model of Tuvalu, essential Mitigating Risk and Increasing Resilience for visualizing weather-related challenges like flooding, saltwater intrusion, and coral bleaching. This model supports the creation of dynamic flood models integrated with demographic data, helping policymakers to make informed decisions. The digital twin offers a virtual reality platform, preserving the nation's cultural and geographical heritage for future generations who may never experience it physically. Local governments and land managers use GIS to create a detailed and dynamic view of local conditions. This digital twin helps guide planning and implementing strategies to enhance resilience against extreme weather. The Data in Emergencies (DIEM) team uses satellite imagery, data collected from the field, and advanced spatial analysis and mapping to investigate root causes and mitigation strategies to reduce food insecurity. The DIEM team monitor 27 countries facing food crises and analyze the connections among climate change, conflict, migration, geopolitics, and economics. The GIS analysis of the Taliban's poppy ban in Afghanistan by Alcis provides critical insights into the humanitarian and agricultural impacts. The analysis highlighted an 85 percent reduction in poppy production by 2023, which led to a tenfold increase in opium prices. This situation benefited politically connected landowners who had stockpiles of opium, while marginalized farmers suffered significant losses, prompting many to emigrate. Additionally, the introduction of solar powered irrigation pumps contributed to the creation of over 100,000 new reservoirs, raising concerns about the sustainability of water resources. Richard Brittan, managing director of Alcis, emphasized the importance of spatial tools: "As the volume and resolution of spatial data has increased, we can get really powerful insights." This technology was also pivotal in tracking migrant movements, thereby enhancing the understanding of the humanitarian crisis and improving the efficiency of targeted relief efforts.
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