Multi-criteria decision making approach to assessing the appropriateness of blockchain technologies in disaster risk management processes within the scope of COVID-19

Disasters and emergencies are the consequences of socially created risk. It creates global effects, beyond national borders. The fact that the Covid-19 pandemic that started in China affects the whole world economically, socially and politically is proof that disasters are not only a national but an international social problem. In order to combat the Covid-19 epidemic, which is a biological disaster, and to prepare for similar pandemic events in the future, measures for all stages of disaster management should be carried out in coordination. Therefore, cross-border international cooperation, stakeholder engagement, technology transfer, up-to-date and transparent presentation of national status information are important in dealing with any disaster or emergency. Blockchain Technologies (BT) is a transparent, traceable and reliable network structure database accessible to users and eliminating agents. For this reason, the aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of BT in disaster risk management processes within the scope of the Covid-19 pandemic with the Analytical Network Process Method. As a result of the study, while the highest potential benefit of Blockchain Technology in combating the Covid-19 pandemic was the developed automation and programmability criterion, the process in which the integration in the risk management phase was the most effective was determined as the rehabilitation phase.