LocationsRAPIDA
Turning crisis data into faster recovery decisions
Every hour counts after a crisis
When earthquakes, floods or conflict strike, governments must make urgent decisions before they have a complete picture of the damage. Yet reliable information often takes days or even weeks to assemble, delaying the decisions that shape recovery. UNDP’s RAPIDA is a rapid crisis assessment tool that provides governments with timely insights to prioritize recovery efforts and make informed decisions from the outset.
Turning data into faster decisions
RAPIDA integrates satellite data from partners including UNOSAT and Planet with artificial intelligence, local assessments and pre-crisis data to rapidly estimate impacts and highlight recovery priorities within 72 hours. By combining damage assessments with information on poverty, vulnerability and critical infrastructure, RAPIDA helps governments direct resources where they are needed most, from clearing debris and restoring essential services to planning recovery financing.
Developed with governments and built on a standardized digital approach, RAPIDA is implemented alongside UN agencies, humanitarian organisations, development partners and technical institutions to ensure data translates into action.
RAPIDA in action
Since its launch in 2025, RAPIDA has helped governments in more than 20 countries turn early information into practical recovery decisions following earthquakes, floods, cyclones and conflict.
“The first institution to provide an estimate of the amount of debris was UNDP.”Nelson Alexander Rodríguez González, Venezuelan Minister of Environment, after the June 2026 earthquakes
How RAPIDA works when a crisis hits
When a crisis occurs, RAPIDA is designed to quickly answer three urgent questions:
What was damaged?
Satellite imagery and AI identify damaged buildings, roads, bridges and critical infrastructure, producing an initial picture of impact.
Who was affected?
Field teams work alongside local authorities and communities to validate findings, understand urgent needs and identify populations at greatest risk.
Where should recovery begin?
RAPIDA findings help governments prioritize investments, restore essential services and direct resources where they are needed most.
This integrated workflow turns early information into practical decisions when they matter most.
Powered by technology. Grounded in partnerships.
Technology alone cannot drive recovery.
RAPIDA combines advanced data analytics with UNDP’s long-standing presence in crisis-affected countries and strong partnerships with governments and local communities. Analyses are complemented by expert review and field validation, ensuring findings are both timely and reliable.
The result is not simply a rapid assessment, but practical decision support that strengthens nationally led recovery efforts.
| Traditional assessments | RAPIDA |
| Weeks before results are available | Early recovery intelligence within 72 hours |
| Focus on physical damage | Damage, vulnerability, and recovery priorities |
| Separate data sources | Satellite imagery, AI, field observations and national data integrated |
| Static reports | Actionable evidence for recovery planning |
From assessment to recovery: Reconstruction in a RAPIDA-supported assessment area.
Ready for the next crisis
In the aftermath of crisis, the speed of decisions shapes the speed of recovery. By providing trusted evidence in the earliest stages of a crisis, RAPIDA provides governments with the clarity they need to act quickly and confidently in those critical first days. For governments, RAPIDA strengthens national capacity to respond to future crises. For donors and partners, it represents an investment in faster, more coordinated, and more resilient recovery systems.
Every day saved in understanding a crisis is a day gained in rebuilding communities, restoring livelihoods, and helping people recover sooner.
RAPIDA in the news
RAPIDA’s analysis has been referenced in more than 1,500 media reports worldwide, helping inform international coverage of crisis impacts and early recovery efforts.
