Digitization of civil protection of the urban population under martial law: legal aspects

Abstract

Civil protection of the urban population during martial law has become one of the most important national security tasks. The strategy for the development of the civil protection shelter fund includes the goal of digitizing the process of creating, developing, and maintaining this fund, as well as informing the population and establishing procedures for action in conditions of constant threat to life and health. The purpose of the article is to systematize national legislation in the field of digitization of civil protection of the urban population and to develop a modern structure of digital tools aimed at improving the effectiveness of the civil protection system in cities whose populations are affected by armed aggression. Methods. The study uses structural-functional, formal-legal, statistical, and systemic methods to clarify the legal aspects of the digitization of civil protection of the urban population in conditions of martial law. Results. It has been established that, functionally, civil protection for urban populations involves multi-level measures to maintain security during crises for rapid response and resilience, with a focus on infrastructure, public information, and vulnerable groups. Factors have been identified for the special functioning of the urban civil protection subsystem under martial law in terms of the need for shelters, adaptation to martial law conditions, the safety of rescuers, international support, special security measures, and special digital civil protection tools. Conclusions. As a result of the study, digital relations regulated by civil protection legislation in conditions of martial law have been systematized. A modern structure has been developed for the model of directions and tools for the digitalization of civil protection of the urban population in conditions of martial law, aimed at increasing the effectiveness of this system in cities affected by armed aggression, the components of which are defined as follows: - horizontal self-organization; - open code and cross-platform compatibility; - interaction between citizens and tech activists; - technology as a weapon, protection, and support.