Two complementary mobile technologies for disaster warning

Abstract

PurposeOver 50 percent of the disasters occur in Asia and in the past five year disasters in the region have killed around half million people. Most of these deaths could have been prevented if reliable and effective early warning systems were in place. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the use of the emerging mobile technology for disaster risk reduction.Design/methodology/approachLIRNEasia field tested five wireless technologies, including mobile phones, in 32 tsunami affected villages in Sri Lanka; where members in the village were provided training with emergency response planning and given one or more of the technologies for receiving hazard information. Further lessons were learned by sharing knowledge, through a consultation process, on early warning systems with stakeholders in India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Indonesia.FindingsThe evaluation process concluded mobile phones as the reliable, effective, and affordable solutions for alerting last‐mile communities. Disaster risk reduction can be improved using mobile application and leverage the explosive diffusion of the technology even among the poor in developing countries.Practical implicationsCoordination within government, including communication to first responders responsible for evacuation and localized warnings, and communication to mass media who serve a critical function in public warning, can be achieved through the use of an SMS engine supplemented as necessary by an informative and robust website. Cell broadcasting can serve as an extremely useful addition to the conventional public warning methods, especially in countries with significant mobile penetration.Originality/valueThe paper is intended for governments, researchers and practitioners working in the field of emergency communication.

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