Preface for a special issue on “Smart environments and collective computational intelligence for disaster management”

Various methods and technologies including simulations, multi-dimensional decision modeling, data mining, swarm intelligence, smart spaces and sensors, context-aware, situated and pervasive computing, geographical information systems, ad-hoc mobile networks, wireless communications, grid and cloud computing, social networks and crowd sourcing are a smart technology means to enable a more informed decision making to mitigate and prepare for, respond to and recover from growing occurrences of disasters. The article surveys and compiles the state-of-the-art smart home technologies and telemedicine systems. [...]our sincere thanks go to the Professor Vincenzo Loia, the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing for his excellent support which effectively led to the publication of this special issue.