In addition to relieving disaster responders from some of their most dangerous duties, the report notes that drones can perform the “3D” tasks—those that are dirty, dull and dangerous—allowing responders to focus on more important things.

Here are nine proposed uses of drones for humanitarian, safety and economic reasons. Please let us know any other uses that you are aware of in the comment section.

(Photo: Shutterstock/Sergei Drozd)

1. Reconnaissance and mapping

Before disasters strike, drones can be used for risk management and prevention of potential losses, for example, by mapping certain terrain. Flood maps can coordinate disaster response efforts after major flooding as occurred with the storm surge from Superstorm Sandy. Topographical mapping in 3D can help identify areas prone to mudslides. British researchers in Malaysia have used drones to map patterns of deforestation that have been correlated with increased incidences of malaria.

(Photo: Shutterstock/Pieter Beens)

2. Structural integrity assessment

The report points out that drones function well in environments that are unsafe for humans. For example, the unmanned ground vehicles used after 9/11 moved through extremely small spaces in unstable rubble piles to reach victims. The Japanese Atomic Energy Agency is currently testing drones that measure radiation being emitted from a nuclear power plant because the drones can fly much lower than manned aircraft, eliminating the possibility of pilot irradiation. In the case of an earthquake like the one in Nepal, drones can assess damage to buildings and structures that have been damaged and are unsafe for relief workers, engineers and claims adjusters.

Drones can be used during manmade disasters as well, according to the report. Explosions and arson also cause damage to the structural integrity of buildings and infrastructure and unsafe conditions for first responders and investigators.

(Photo: Shutterstock/Slavoljub Pantelic)

3. Temporary infrastructure and supply delivery

Severe weather events, earthquakes, sabotage and other manmade disasters can destroy critical infrastructure such as water lines, roadways, bridges, oil and gas pipelines, power plants and transmission lines. In addition to assessing infrastructure damage, drones also can deliver needed supplies to make infrastructure repairs or temporarily bypass damaged infrastructure by delivering supplies like food and water directly.

Drones also can act as temporary telecommunications platforms, sending Wi-Fi and cell phone coverage across an area with downed power lines and damaged cell towers.

(Photo: Shutterstock/Dmytro Gilitukha)

4. Detecting and extinguishing wildfires

The current methods of detecting and fighting wildfires rely heavily on human efforts, causing 34 firefighter deaths and 29,760 injuries in 2013 alone, according to statistics from the U.S. Fire Administration. Drones could help reduce the frequency and proximity of contact that firefighters need to make with wildfires. The drones also would be able to fly lower than manned aircraft and in reduced visibility, delivering fire retardant more efficiently, with less risk to pilots. The drones also could be used to map the most likely places to place backfires and ways to evacuate people from high-risk areas.

(Photo: Shutterstock/1000 Words)

5. High-rise building fire response

As most people who live and work in large cities recognize, high-rise towers present unique challenges to firefighters. Many floors are too high for ground-based firefighting equipment—hook and ladder trucks, for example—to reach. In some cases, occupants may be trapped on floors above the fire, which prevents firefighters from rescuing survivors and spraying retardant or water on the flames directly.

Drones equipped with cameras can give firefighters real-time visual data from the fire and use sensors to visualize temperature readouts coming from the fire, giving firefighters information about where the fire is burning most intensely. Perhaps most significantly, micro drones can fly through a building’s interior, passing through floors to search for victims, assess structural damage and map fire strength.

Large drones with heavy lifting power can spray fire retardant directly into higher floors, deliver firefighters to floors above the fire, rescue trapped survivors and provide real-time video feeds.

(Photo: Shutterstock/Melkor3D)

6. Dealing with chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or explosive (CBRNE) events

One of the realities of life in the 21st century is that heavy industry and power generation rely on hazardous chemicals and fuels, including fissile material to create nuclear power. Malfunctions in factories or power plants, accidents while transporting hazardous materials, terrorism and criminal sabotage are a few of the incidents that might cause unexpected chemical, biological or nuclear disasters.

Using drones in these situations, the report says, significantly reduces human exposure to unsafe environments while providing continuous monitoring and data validation. Drones can be deployed from almost any surface or location, so responders don’t have to rely solely on airfields, which might be heavily damaged or unusable. After the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plan meltdown in Japan, survey teams used a drone to track the radiation plume and inspect the structural integrity of the plant.

(Photo: Shutterstock/Emiel de Lange)

7. Search and rescue operations

Searching for people or wreckage—of the downed Germanwings airliner in the mountains, for instance—is time consuming and difficult. It can lead to crew fatigue, decreasing their effectiveness and increasing the likelihood that something could be missed. When survivors are located, rescue and evacuation operations take place in hazardous environments, similar to the rescue of many mountain climbers from Mount Everest after the Nepal earthquake.

The report notes that, in 2014, an amateur drone operator used aerial imagery from his octocopter to find an 82-year-old man alive in a 200-acre bean field. The man had gone missing several days before, and three days of searching with dogs, hundreds of volunteers and a helicopter had not been able to find him.

(Photo: Shutterstock/Emiel de Lange)

8. Insurance claims response and risk assessment

Much has been written about the potential use of drones by insurance companies. They could use drones to fly over an affected area after a disaster, assessing damage to insured property, developing situational awareness for deploying additional claims adjusters on the ground, and supporting the claims response process. Drones provide more options to review properties that otherwise would be inaccessible due to safety concerns.

Insurance companies, working with risk managers in all industries, can help with pre-disaster planning. Drone-based high-resolution maps of communities with insured properties would help identify at-risk areas—for example, properties located in flood-prone areas, According to the report, the information would help create the best disaster response protocols and pre-emergency plans.

(Photo: Shutterstock/Lucky Business)

9. Logistics support

As the report points out, blocked roads, damaged rail, and destroyed ports and airports can have a severe impact on rescue efforts by delaying delivery of supplies and equipment. After a hurricane, for example, people would find it difficult to travel to buy food or supplies because streets might still be flooded, power lines and trees could be down, and roads might be closed. Assuming access to the Internet or telephones, people could place an order for groceries with a store, which companies like UPS could deliver via drone. Drones also could deliver tools, building materials, survival gear and any other materials needed, promptly and safely.

(Photo: Shutterstock/Adam Ziaja)

More examples?

I can think of one other example in which a drone could be used for disaster planning. Coal mining is a notoriously dangerous profession, and miners are at high risk from collapse of the mine shafts or explosions from methane gas build-up. Drones with high resolution cameras could inspect the shafts before miners go into them to ensure that walls are shored up correctly. Instead of sending canaries into the coal mines as was done in Victorian England, drones with sensors could be used to determine whether methane gas is escaping, allowing the mining company to remediate the mine shaft before miners are at risk.

What other uses can you think of or do you know of? Please tell us in the comment section.