Enhancing Flood Resilience in the UAE: An Integrated Task-Technology Fit and Technology Acceptance Model of IoT-Based Disaster Management

Flooding in the UAE has intensified due to climate change and rapid urbanization, revealing weaknesses in disaster management despite smart infrastructure investments.While IoT technologies offer potential for real-time monitoring and response, their effectiveness depends on alignment with operational needs and user acceptance-areas underexplored in arid regions.This study develops and tests a framework integrating Task-Technology Fit (TTF) and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to evaluate IoT-based flood disaster systems in the UAE.Data from 291 disaster management personnel were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling.Results show that task requirements significantly impact system-task fit, which strongly influences perceived usefulness and ease of use.Notably, perceived usefulness fully mediates the relationship between system fit and strategic value.The study contributes to disaster resilience literature and offers practical recommendations for system co-design, inter-agency coordination, and training.Future research should expand to comparative and longitudinal studies across Gulf nations to support climate adaptation strategies.