8 Ways Startups Can Help Address Climate Change and Emergency Response Through Technology

Here at City Innovate HQ in California, we’re living and breathing the effects of climate change at this very moment. It’s impossible to ignore the impact of the California wildfires in our lives, in our communities and in our lungs, and everyday we hear stories about the people, businesses and governments working together to address this crisis.
This is not normal. StoryCenter partnered with public libraries throughout the state of California to document the impacts of the megafires, climate change and public policy in response to the unusually devastating fires that have become so common. They explain:
“Tens of thousands of California citizens have had their lives destroyed by wildfires over the last decades, hundreds have lost their lives. Millions of acres of our landscape, and the life that calls these forests and mountains their home, has been equally decimated. The Top ten of the worse fire seasons of the last 60 years have occurred over the last fifteen years. We can only expect this to continue, and what we do to prepare, to mitigate and to respond to these new and much more furious infernos is a topic of concern to everyone in California.”
This may just be one example, but across the United States and around the world, people’s lives are being changed by issues related to climate change, like flooding, water shortages and loss of nature, while emergency responders are working tirelessly–sometimes putting their own lives into danger–to keep communities and natural resources safe.
None of these issues will be solved with a quick fix, but together many small initiatives can make a tangible impact. And it doesn’t have to take years to develop solutions; if we start now we could see progress in a matter of months.
Right now governments across the U.S. are requesting proposals from startups to solve these challenges related to climate change and emergency response:
Tracking Tree Planting in Long Beach, CA
To promote the city’s multiple tree planting initiatives, the City of Long Beach is seeking an interactive solution to track and showcase environmental health impacts such as carbon sequestration. This system is intended to complement the city’s existing GIS tracking system for tree planting data, making the benefits of urban forestry more tangible for government staff and the public.
Flood Response and Protection in Kansas City, MO
The City of Kansas City has identified a deficiency in flood preparedness to protect the city’s vulnerable citizens and property. To improve public safety on roads that frequently experience heavy flooding, Kansas City is seeking an automated barricade system that can send accurate flood data to a monitoring system, and immediately direct people out of harm’s way.
Urban Forestry and Infrastructure Assessment in San Diego, CA
As part of its climate action plan, the City of San Diego is taking initiative to increase the amount of canopy cover in the city’s urban forests. San Diego is seeking a remote sensing solution to bridge the gap between what arborists can record in the field and what cannot be observed in the tree’s canopy from below, in addition to monitoring other city infrastructure.
Tree Health Assessment in San Diego, CA
To complement a remote sensing system, San Diego is seeking a solution to record and assess tree health data with the goal of creating a predictive model for tracking disease and deterioration, enabling prioritization of services to areas in need throughout the city. This solution will allow San Diego to track tree height, crown measurement and species identification using drones, computer visioning and predictive analytics.
Protecting Open Space in Carlsbad, CA
More than 40% of the City of Carlsbad is open space, and while the majority of this land is regularly monitored, some parts of the city are currently unmanaged and frequently subjected to illegal dumping, trespassing and other activities that threaten the natural habit and create dangers on public property. To reduce harm and protect Carlsbad’s open space, the city is seeking a monitoring solution for its unmanaged areas.
Improving Emergency Response Times Through Traffic Signal Communications in Chula Vista, CA
With a fire response time that has room for improvement, the City of Chula Vista seeks to deploy a traffic signal and route guidance system that will enable emergency responders including police, firefighters and ambulances to get there faster. Not only will this system improve emergency response times, it will reduce accidents caused by the currently limited traffic signal system being used in Chula Vista.
Scaling “Drone as First Responder” Operations in Chula Vista, CA
Chula Vista has already implemented a Drone as First Responder program, which allows the police department to send drones in emergency situations like fires, accidents and crimes in progress, before any officers physically arrive on the scene. This provides aerial support to keep officers out of harm’s way and allows trained incident commanders to virtually assess the situation. To scale the program, Chula Vista needs a solution to address connectivity issues due to interferences from wifi and other signals which can terminate a mission.
Visualizing Transit Information for Emergencies in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA
The Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) is seeking an easy to use platform to visualize critical information in real-time during emergencies. This platform will monitor transit assets, transit conditions and other data across nine counties, enabling emergency managers to see all of the critical information for the entire region in one place, instead of checking multiple sites one by one, meaning faster response times when time is of the essence.
We’re calling on startups from all over the world to co-create technology solutions alongside these governments, to make a difference in these communities and beyond.
Think you could help address one or more of these challenges? Take a closer look at the government contract opportunities on our website and submit a proposal in under an hour.
