Privacy-Preserving Emergency Data Mesh: A Homomorphic Encryption Approach to Multi-Agency Disaster Response Coordination

Abstract

Privacy-preserving emergency data mesh represents a transformative solution to the critical challenge of multi-agency coordination during natural disasters. The system addresses the fundamental tension between urgent information sharing needs and stringent privacy regulations that historically impede effective disaster response. By integrating Conflict-free Replicated Data Types with homomorphic encryption, this architecture enables agencies to perform analytics on encrypted data without exposing sensitive information. The implementation leverages the Brakerski-Fan-Vercauteren encryption scheme to maintain cryptographic security while allowing real-time queries across distributed networks. Field deployments during wildfire response exercises demonstrate that agencies can achieve situational awareness without compromising citizen privacy or violating regulatory frameworks. The system's resilient design ensures continued operation despite network disruptions common in disaster scenarios, utilizing adaptive synchronization protocols and edge computing resources. This privacy-preserving framework fundamentally changes how emergency management organizations collaborate, moving from trust-based information sharing to cryptographically assured coordination. The successful adoption by multiple agencies previously unwilling to share data due to privacy concerns validates the practical viability of homomorphic encryption in time-critical applications.