Abstract
Urban digital twins (UDTs) are emerging as powerful tools for real-time disaster response, offering dynamic, data-driven simulations of urban environments. This study examines the opportunities and limitations of UDTs in enhancing situational awareness, decision-making, and coordination during disasters. Through a mixed-methods approach combining a systematic literature review, expert interviews (n=25), and a case study simulation of a flood event in a mid-sized city, we evaluate UDT performance across key metrics: data latency, model accuracy, scalability, and user satisfaction. Results indicate that UDTs significantly improve response times (by up to 40%) and situational awareness (by 35%) compared to traditional GIS-based systems. However, limitations persist, including high computational demands, data integration challenges, and ethical concerns regarding privacy and equity. Our findings highlight the need for standardized protocols, enhanced real-time data fusion, and inclusive design to fully realize UDT potential. We conclude with recommendations for future research and policy to bridge the gap between technological capability and practical disaster resilience.
Keywords
urban digital twins, real-time disaster response, situational awareness, data latency, scalability, ethical considerations, flood simulation, smart cities