From crisis to capability: how AI is transforming public sector crisis response

Australia’s public sector is no stranger to crises. In the past 12 months alone, insured losses from declared catastrophes exceeded $2.4 billion, according to the Insurance Council of Australia. Far North Queensland experienced record flooding in early 2025, including major infrastructure collapse. And CSIRO has confirmed what Australians are already seeing: extreme fire weather is becoming more frequent and intense, particularly in the South East. The Black Summer fires of 2019–20 were not an anomaly — they were a warning.

In an era of compounding climate-driven disasters, governments must move beyond reactive responses. The challenge today isn’t simply responding faster — it’s designing systems capable of anticipating disruption, making intelligent decisions under pressure, and scaling interventions when every second counts.

The key enabler? Data — paired with AI and delivered through secure, flexible, modern data architectures.

The rise of AI-ready emergency response

Every emergency generates a cascade of data — sensor readings, satellite imagery, social media posts, service requests, call centre logs and weather updates. Yet much of this information is siloed across agencies or arrives too late to inform immediate action. The solution isn’t more data; it’s making data usable at speed.

This is where AI-enabled decision support and hybrid data platforms are transforming public sector operations. By combining real-time data pipelines with predictive modelling and scalable AI, governments can develop a clearer operational picture and act sooner, not just faster.

For example, AI can forecast flood impacts using geospatial data and rainfall patterns, helping responders pre-position resources. Generative AI agents can automate situation reports from live datasets. Predictive models can estimate infrastructure damage or population displacement under different crisis scenarios.

Globally, this shift is already underway. Mercy Corps, an international humanitarian organisation, has developed an AI-powered assistant known as the Methods Matcher. Designed to accelerate disaster response in complex environments, the tool rapidly scans trusted research and past project data to give frontline teams practical, evidence-based advice in real time. This helps them act faster and make smarter decisions on the ground, turning reactive responses into proactive strategies, especially in crisis situations where every second counts.

The imperative for interoperability

Closer to home, the Australian Government’s National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework has laid out a clear vision for stronger national resilience. A key theme? Cross-jurisdictional collaboration through shared information platforms, harmonised data standards and advanced modelling tools.

This vision is already coming to life:

• The National Joint Common Operating Picture (NJCOP) is being rolled out across jurisdictions, providing near-real-time data sharing and operational visibility through 2025–26.
• The National Bushfire Intelligence Capability, developed by CSIRO and Australian Climate Service (ACS), is building a scalable, national view of bushfire risk — integrating real-time sensor data, climate models and historical records to support prevention, preparedness and response.
• The ACS is also delivering integrated risk platforms that combine hazard, exposure and vulnerability data to support both operational and strategic decisions across government and industry sectors.
   

Together, these initiatives are laying the groundwork for a new kind of public infrastructure: one where trusted, AI-ready data can move securely and seamlessly between agencies, sectors and frontline teams. It’s about giving decision-makers the clarity and confidence they need to stay ahead of fast-moving situations and act before issues escalate.

From volume to confidence: governing data at scale

With the right infrastructure, Australia has a chance to lead globally in responsible, AI-enabled public service. But scale brings new responsibilities.

Trust remains central. With public scrutiny high and data privacy non-negotiable, agencies must ensure transparency across the entire data lifecycle — from ingestion and transformation to AI model deployment and audit. Metadata, lineage, explainability, and robust governance frameworks are not optional. They are the foundation for building confidence in AI-generated decisions, especially in high-stakes environments like disaster management or public health.

Fortunately, new tools make it possible to democratise these capabilities. Today’s data platforms allow agencies to fine-tune AI models on their own secure data, without exporting sensitive information to the public cloud. Pre-built accelerators, low-code tooling and synthetic data generators help fast-track deployment — even for teams with limited resources.

Critically, agencies can now test and validate new AI use cases rapidly — without years of development or massive upfront investment. These capabilities lower the barrier to innovation and shorten time to value.

Rethinking public sector agility

Ultimately, the question is no longer whether governments should invest in AI and hybrid data platforms: it’s how quickly they can operationalise them. According to the World Economic Forum, natural disasters could drive global economic losses to $145 billion in 2025 — a 6% increase from 2024 — with climate-related events like floods, fires and storms playing a major role. For Australia, this isn’t a distant future; it’s already here.

The public sector’s opportunity is clear: use AI not just to respond faster, but to plan better, allocate smarter and communicate more effectively in times of crisis.

That means breaking down silos, embedding intelligence at the edge, and shifting from digitisation to true data-driven transformation. It means making real-time, AI-assisted decision-making the rule — not the exception — in emergency services, environmental monitoring and public health.

The next generation of public sector agility won’t be measured by how quickly a policy is drafted, but by how fast and effectively an agency can turn live data into meaningful action. Because in today’s environment, agility isn’t a competitive advantage — it’s a necessity for public safety.

*Keir Garrett is Regional Vice President at Cloudera Australia and New Zealand. Keir brings more than 20 years of management, strategic consulting and digital transformation experience to Cloudera, and has successfully developed lines of business in global markets and across multiple industries, both directly with customers and in collaboration with the partner ecosystem.

Image credit: iStock.com/Philip Thurston