Decentralized Disaster Management in Smart Cities: Leveraging IPFS, Blockchain, and Edge Computing

Abstract

As more and more smart cities come into existence, the necessity for foolproof disaster management solutions intensifies. This paper probes the challenges that smart cities face regarding disaster management and proposes a distributed framework leveraging a six-layer architecture involving Inter-Planetary File System (IPFS), blockchain technology, and edge computing to boost resilience and response capabilities. IPFS provides decentralized storage with interfacing, thus guaranteeing data integrity and availability during natural disasters. Blockchain technology helps in improving data transparency, ensuring tamper-proof updates, and elevating logistics through-put. Smart contracts facilitate efficient coordination and resource allocation. Edge computing enables real-time data processing, optimizing resource allocation, and enhancing the routing of physical resources to key locations for increased system efficiency. Connecting, investigating, aligning, and sharing information in a decentralized manner fosters teamwork among stakeholders. Community engagement and reporting tools are provided for smart city dwellers to participate in disaster management activities. The proposed system ensures a more resilient and faster disaster response. © 2025 IEEE.