On the morning of the 4th December 2012, Typhoon Bopha swept across Mindanao, the southernmost island of the Philippines. By then, it was a category 5 “super typhoon” with winds of over 160 mph (260 km/h). The three coastal towns of Baganga, Cateel and Boston were hardest hit. As the storm worked its way inland, its power waned but it generated huge rainfall, which caused devastating landslides in the Compostela Valley region. All told, Typhoon Bopha was the most devastating typhoon to hit the area for 100 years. It claimed 1,500 lives and left 200,000 people homeless.

The typhoon had a devastating effect on communications in the area, bringing down lines, destroying mobile towers and damaging backhaul links. The lack of communications together with destruction of some of the road infrastructure meant that information was slow coming out of the disaster zone and the mobilisation of support was delayed.

I arrived in Mindanao as a volunteer with Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF). TSF is an NGO that provides communications for the affected population and emergency responders after disasters. The journey from the provincial capital, Davao, to hard-hit Baganga usually takes about 3 hours; after Typhoon Bopha, it took more than the double that time as the main bridge had collapsed into a river.

The new route was a switchback road that followed the coastline. Lush coconut groves gave way to barren expanses where the majority of trees had been felled and those that hadn’t were stripped of all vegetation. As we neared the town of Cateel, we saw families living by the road in makeshift shacks as their wooden homes had been pulverised by the storm. In Cateel itself, the more substantial civic buildings had fared a little better but all were significantly damaged and electricity was out. Landlines and electricity poles had been toppled and loose cables snaked across roads and over houses.

These scenes were repeated along the coast, as we travelled on to Baganga, which was to be our base and the main operations centre. TSF’s rapid deployment to the challenging environment of Mindanao would not have been possible without the support of local operator SMART. TSF had already established a good working relationship with SMART, through a training provided by TSF for SMART employees on emergency telecommunications.

In Baganga, our team’s first task was to set up a “calling operation”, which provides free calls to any worldwide number for the affected population, so that they can reassure worried family members or request help and/or financial assistance. The call centre was established outside a medical clinic, where the affected population was gathering for assistance.

TSF provided portable satellite technology to make calls and bridge the gap whilst the mobile and land services were restored (though satellite calls are expensive, they are still one of the only viable communication options in such high infrastructure damage scenarios), SMART provided vital logistical assistance and support staff. Call centres were operated under the banner of both TSF and SMART.

Over the following days, this cooperation had great benefits. TSF was able to set up calling operations in Cateel and cooperated with the Philippine Red Cross to provide free calls at their aid distribution points along the coast. In addition to these call centres, we deployed BGAN satellite internet stations to enable connectivity at each of the command centres in Baganga, Cateel and Boston. These connections were used by responders (both government and NGO) to send situation reports to headquarters in Manila and beyond, increasing awareness of the severity of the disaster and further enabling the flow of aid.

We were later joined in Baganga by a team from the Vodafone Foundation that had brought their Mobile BTS – the “Instant Network”. Vodafone’s Instant Network was quickly installed which enabled the local population to use their own phones and receive money from relatives via SMART’s mobile money service. The Instant Network also provided emergency responders with greater communication capabilities that improved the efficiency of their operations. Thanks to this cooperation, SMART was able to focus its resources on restoring mobile connectivity to other towns in the disaster area. The Instant Network was operational for 17 days until normal services were restored – during that time it enabled an impressive 300,000 calls and nearly 600,000 SMS messages.

This partnership between Vodafone, TSF and SMART proved tremendously effective. I was particularly encouraged by how different actors in the communication sector, both commercial and non-commercial, were able to bring complementary capabilities and skills to a disaster scenario. For TSF and the Vodafone Foundation, partnership with a local operator sped up deployment to the affected area and the operator’s local knowledge and situational awareness was key to effective planning and the more efficient use of scarce resources. For SMART, these partnerships provided specific equipment and specialised services necessary in disaster conditions thereby bolstering their support activities and increasing the speed of their network restoration. It’s a win-win situation that I hope will be replicated in future disasters.

Many thanks to the teams of TSF, Vodafone Foundation, SMART and to the people of the Davao Oriental region for their warmth and generosity in challenging times.

Panellists included Imogen Wall, Coordinator of Community Communications at UN OCHA, Oisin Walton, Manager for the Vodafone Instant Network Roll-out Programme, and Nicholas Wasunna from World Vision Kenya.

This short report provides an overview of remarks from the speakers, as well as key themes that emerged from the session. It accompanies the slides and audio clips from the event.

Introductory Remarks

Kyla Reid, Head of GSMA Disaster Response, introduced the webinar with a brief introduction from the mobile perspective. She made two key points:

• Mobile is increasingly becoming recognised as a critical tool in disaster preparedness and response. However, there are recurring challenges including coordination, a lack of mutual understanding between the different stakeholders groups, and a lack of sophisticated, predictable partnerships that need to be addressed to maximise the potential for mobile in this space.
• The GSMA and its members have seen a growing interest in mobile use by the humanitarian sector. There is the beginning of a move to recognise mobile communications as a basic humanitarian need and mobile infrastructure as a component of emergency infrastructure. This necessitates that mobile operators and partners in the humanitarian sector identify ways of working together more effectively, and recognise the capacity and role that each plays.

Rachel Houghton, Global Coordinator of the CDAC Network, spoke from the humanitarian perspective. She began by providing a brief overview of what communications with disaster affected communities entails, primarily for the benefit of colleagues from mobile operators who were on the call. She made the following points:

• Communications with affected communities is fundamental; survival in an emergency depends on timely access to information. In addition, affected communities have the right to voice their needs, ideas and feedback and be in active dialogue with aid providers. However, recognition of information as aid and two-way communications is still in nascent stages in the humanitarian sector.
• The CDAC Network was established in response to this communication ‘gap’. It is a unique, cross-sector collaboration between humanitarian and media development organisations, and is increasingly engaging with technology and telecoms providers. Focus on collaboration is key: Technology and media, including mobile, offer efficient and effective means of enabling communication between crisis responders and those affected. There has been historically limited collaboration between humanitarian and telecoms operators and this exacerbates many of the challenges in emergency response.
• The main question is how to best leverage technology, incl mobile, in the service of aid communities in crisis. There are many opportunities to integrate mobile more extensively, including:
• Increasing recognition of the need to provide life-saving messages and communicate more effectively in humanitarian response
• The attendant desire in humanitarian organisations to experiment with different technologies, including mobile, across the project cycle, and the increasing use of mobile to actually deliver services
• The fact that there is no cheaper, faster way to communicate than via SMS, and that it is a critical technology for hard to access areas
• Huge appetite in humanitarian organisations to engage with different technologies and learn new skills and a genuine appetite for collaboration with mobile operators

Speaker Reflections

Nick Wasunna, Head of Operations at World Vision Kenya, was the first speaker. Overall he noted that mobile can be an effective medium to engage beneficiaries, and there is an opportunity to capitalise on this and other kinds of technology and infrastructure available to aid agencies to improve their capacity to respond, and to enhance their accountability. He then went on to make the following points:

• World Vision Kenya has rolled out a programme using Frontline SMS coupled with the distribution of 75 Nokia handsets and solar charges to Relief Committees in communities in order send out SMS feedback forms through the Kenyan Safaricom network.
• Challenges experienced included variable signal strength and resistance by the community to complete the SMS forms, as they indicated a preference to provide feedback directly by phone or to a person rather than through a mobile form.
• Humanitarian organisations have much to offer mobile operators, including information about mobile usage in remote and rural areas. Effective partnerships could result in the expansion of mobile products and services, such as mobile cash transfer systems. Where there is poor or no mobile coverage, multi-sector stakeholders need to come together to find a solution to provide mobile access, even if a business case is not obvious at the start. Government also needs to be involved.

Imogen Wall, Coordinator of Community Communications at UN OCHA, made the following points:

• There is a huge demand for communication, and experiences from disasters as distinct as the Haiti earthquake to Hurricane Sandy demonstrate that mobile connectivity is becoming seen as a humanitarian need in its own right. Recent research by the iHub in Nairobi, Kenya, found that the poorest of the poor in eastern Africa valued their mobile phones so much that they would go without food and other essentials just so that they could have enough credit to make calls.
• In the early hours and days of a response, people want connectivity to talk to each other, not humanitarian responders. This makes the need to get networks up and supporting mobile systems really critical.
• People also use social media via their phones, and this is as important as the ability to make calls.
• This reality requires a conceptual shift within the humanitarian system, and the need for more sophisticated partnerships with mobile operators to better meet needs of people on the ground.
• In many instances, mobile operators are already acting as humanitarian responders in various capacities and are engaged with the communities they serve. The spectrum of mobile solutions that could be integrated into the humanitarian sector (for example: mobile money, mapping big data and displacement patters) and much of this innovation is coming from the mobile industry and the private sector.
• Within the humanitarian sector there is a need for increased capacity to engage and coordinate with the private sector to develop the level of partnerships required to meet the demand for information and services delivered through mobile that disaster-affected communities want.
• In order to facilitate this collaboration and coordination the different sectors needs to understand how each other work much better, including an understanding of the different strengths and weaknesses. Partnership needs to be built on mutual recognition of each other’s value.

Oisin Walton, Programme Manager for the Instant Network Roll-out, Vodafone Foundation, spoke last. He began by providing a brief history of The Vodafone Foundation’s involvement in emergency response over the past 10 years, including through a partnership with Telecoms Sans Frontiers. The Foundation wanted to explore what services it could provide to humanitarian actors- so they worked with TSF to gain input and emerged with the Instant Network- a robust, lightweight and rapidly deployable mobile base station which is supported by an extensive volunteer training programme. As part of their preparedness work, Vodafone and TSF undertake joint trainings for mobile operators where they provide an introduction to humanitarian aid and principles, and also talk about technical needs within H organisations. They also run joint simulation exercises.

The Instant Network can be used in disaster scenarios where the core network has been affected and requires repairs, or where there is an absence of mobile coverage. An example of deployment of the Instant Network is in Kaikor, Kenya. This was at the request of the Kenya Red Cross to support their relief activities in this drought-prone area. The Instant Network connected with the Safaricom network to enable 260,000 calls for relief agencies and the community.

However, it is not just about providing mobile connectivity. There is a comprehensive package of services that mobile operators can develop and deliver in partnership with humanitarian actors. In order to capitalise on this, an increase in collaboration between mobile and humanitarian innovation centres is required. This needs to include discussions that identify and prioritise needs  in the humanitarian sector in order to prevent reinventing the wheel; needs and capacities must be aligned and we need to ensure that solutions are demand driven and fit for purpose.

–Justin Waller

For many years our region, Southeast Asia, has faced numerous flood disasters. Seven countries experienced flooding in 2011 resulting in the loss of lives and assets. One hundred twenty four people died and 137,000 homes were flooded in Vietnam.  In Cambodia, 250 people died and 196,600 houses were flooded, not including 600 more houses that were completely wiped out by the water. Our home country Thailand also faced a huge flood last year. Seven hundred thirty people died and 766,267 houses were flooded. This fact demonstrates that whenever there is a flood in Southeast Asia, it can bring about a massive loss.

We wanted to help reduce this loss if possible and our team began discussion with many victims, experts and people working in this field. From these discussions and our own experiences, we learned that a major problem is that currently most people have little, up to date and accurate information. They didn’t know what was actually going on in with the flood levels in other areas so it was hard for them to decide what action to take, for instance, whether to evacuate or to increase food stocks. Thus it was hard to prepare themselves, their families and their homes.

We originally thought that such information would be available on the internet, but although some data was available, it was very hard to find specific data for the required locations. In addition even if the required level data could be found, there seemed to be no guarantee as to the integrity of the source of the data, its accuracy, or if it was up to date.

For a solution to the problem we looked at harnessing the power of current mobile phones. Phones that contain high resolution cameras, high speed internet via Wi-Fi and mobile broadband, and the ability to determine location using the GPS.

We created our application, FloodFinder, to use these functions so that the public could measure the water level at their current location and then easily share that information with others, thus enabling the public to get accurate, up to date water level information on which to base their decisions.

Our application was designed to be easy to use and has three main functions:

• Measuring function, which will automatically gather information about the current water level by processing photos taken by the phone’s camera.
• Sharing function, which will upload a geotagged water level measurement to a central server
• Searching function, which will allow users to query and display, on a map or in list form, water level information from the server filtering by location and time

Users can measure the water level by just taking a single photo. The application then automatically calculates the water level at that location. This is calculated by taking a photo of the water level against a known reference object, in this case a post box.

Using a common reference object provides an easy way for the user to measure the water height, as there are no other instruments needed and they do not even have to touch the water to measure its height. Once the level has been calculated, the application will show the result to the user and ask whether the user wants to share this water level or not. If the user chooses to share it then the application will send the result to the server, but if not, the result will be deleted.

The main advantage of FloodFinder is that all of the water level data gathered by the application is guaranteed to have a consistent accuracy. We achieve this accuracy because all of the water level data comes from an automatic measurement [1]. FloodFinder also promotes user participation at a local level, where information on the ground may be more accurate and up to date than other sources. Therefore using this application people can easily find real time flood information, anywhere and anytime that will help them to prepare themselves for flooding in advance.

Mobile phone penetration in South East Asia is very high and if this application is freely available, people will be able to access an accurate source of water level data anywhere and anytime they need it. We hope that by using FloodFinder as a reliable information source, people will be able to prepare themselves more effectively for the incoming floods and thereby reduce losses in our region. This is why our team developed this application, to help improve preparedness and save people’s lives.

Many thanks to: Team Optimo from King Mongkut’s University of Technology, Thonburi and to Teresa Leonardo from USAID.

Hurricane Sandy has been picking up strength, having already taken the lives of 60 people in the Caribbean over the past few days. As of 12 pm GMT today, the US National Hurricane Centre forecasted that the storm has produced sustained winds of 85 mph, extending 175 miles. The hurricane itself is a massive 520 miles in diameter, and will cross as many as 12 American states in the next 24-36 hour period, with 50 million people potentially affected when it is expected to make landfall on Monday night. A State of Emergency has been declared in many of the affected states, with schools, transport and other services closed in anticipation.

At present, over 375,000 people have been evacuated from New York City. It is expected that there will be between $2-3 billion USD in damages from wind alone, with at least 10 million people being left without power for a week once the storm strikes.

The high winds, power outages and flooding predicted to accompany the storm present acute challenges for the continuity of the mobile network. However, many of the American carriers have implemented preparatory measures to help mitigate the impact on the networks, and on the provision of essential communication services for those affected.

AT&T:

In May 2012, AT&T became the first company to be certified by the US Department of Homeland Security in Disaster Preparedness under the DHS Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Programme. In order to face the challenges presented by Sandy, AT&T has already deployed its Network Disaster Recovery (NDR) Teams to predicted affected areas to initiate any required restoration activities once the storm hits. These teams include highly trained personnel and 320 technical/equipment trailers to support troubleshooting and restoration. Other preparedness measures include:

• Topping up fuel tanks at at-risk cell sites
• Installing high capacity batteries
• Distributing portable generators for back-up power supply
• Activating pre-existing relationships with Regional and Local Emergency Operations Centres to restore or maintain service, and provide status updates until permanent repairs can be made

T-Mobile:

T-Mobile has staged its engineering teams to established zones and dispatched personnel to Network Command Centres throughout the Eastern Seaboard. T-Mobile has existing coordination points at local, state and federal levels to improve efficiency and knowledge sharing in response. Additionally, they have:

• Invested in supplemental cell-site back-up generators, microwave technology equipment and Cell-on-Wheels (COWS)
• Deployed COWS to neighbouring markets to increase wireless capacity to affected areas, including evacuation routes where congestion is likely to be a challenge
• Secured access to additional fuel supplies for generators and emergency transport vehicles
• Rolled-out back-up generators and fuel top ups for switches and generators in the storm’s path

Importantly, T-Mobile has also initiated its crisis plan for employees to ensure safety and security of its staff and facilities.

Sprint:

Sprint has developed Emergency Response Teams (ERTs) to provide short-term communications support, equipment and operations for federal agencies, local public safety officials, military and private sector companies. In anticipation of Hurricane Sandy, Sprint has dispatched its network recovery staff, as well as strategically positioned its ERTs. Throughout 2012, Sprint’s Natural Disaster Recovery Team carried out drills and exercises in disaster preparedness and response, including hurricanes, in the Northeast. They are also:

• Provided local public safety agencies in need of emergency communications support with 14 days of free-service using 25 ERT supported devices in areas where a “State of Emergency” has been declared
• Positioned “Network Strike Teams” on stand-by for rapid restoration
• Flood-proofed at-risk infrastructure and facilities and ensured generators are fully fuelled in at-risk areas
• Verified operation-readiness of generators and emergency equipment at all mobile switching stations and network points-of-presence (PoPs)

Verizon:

Verizon has suspended many of its non-emergency activities on the East Coast to focus on its response. Over the past two years, Verizon has invested $30.5 billion USD in fortifying its communication networks and infrastructure to make it more resilient to natural disasters. The company is monitoring its operations and the storm via national and regional command and control centres, and has initiated communication protocols with other utility providers to facilitate coordination of resources in the event of storm damage. The company has also:

• Taken a pro-active approach to communicating with customers in potentially affected areas via social media (Twitter, Facebook) and their website, and has sent emails to subscribers with key links for troubleshooting problems they may encounter with communications during the storm
• Verizon managers are communicating the company’s plans with public safety officials and various response agencies across governmental levels in affected areas

Staged emergency equipment and infrastructure such as COWs around mid-Atlantic and Midwest regionsImportantly, Verizon has raised the reality that whilst their own technicians may be ready to repair and restore storm-damaged facilities, they may be subject to approval from local power companies and first-response agencies. This underscores the importance of coordination and communication with other critical infrastructure providers and response agencies in advance of an emergency.All of the operators listed above have published tips for customers in coping with the storm, with emphasis on:

• Ensuring mobiles are fully charged, with back up batteries where possible and keep mobile dry and secure
• Store emergency contact numbers
• Have a car-charging adapter at hand so you can charge via your fuelled vehicle if necessary
• Limit non-emergency calls
• “Text-not-Talk” to reduce congestion

The American Red Cross has also launched a Hurricane app which allows users to monitor the storm, and communicate safety to friends and family via social media. The app also has downloaded tips and listings of Red Cross Evacuation Centres that can be accessed even if the mobile network is down.

To follow the mobile operators on Twitter to get live updates as they respond to Hurricane Sandy, follow them: @VZWNews (Verizon), @sprintnews (Sprint) @ATT (AT&T) @TMobile

Further Resources:

• http://www.nasdaq.com/article/telecom-companies-prepare-for-hurricane-sandy-20121028-00036#.UI5dpm8ifLM
• http://newsroom.sprint.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=2442
• http://news.verizonwireless.com/news/2012/06/hurricane-season-tips.html
• http://www.redcross.org/mobile-apps/hurricane-app
• http://www.att.com/gen/general?pid=1325
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/28/hurricane-sandy-new-york-impact

Photo credits: NOAA [top]; National Hurricane Center, Fema via BBC [bottom].

Natural disasters are increasing in both their frequency and impact due to a confluence of factors including climate change, rapid urbanisation, population growth and environmental degradation.  The past twelve months have been the costliest for natural disasters on record; from the Chilean earthquake to the typhoons and flooding in the Philippines. The International Organisation for Migration estimates that every year, 200 million people are affected, over 70,000 killed, and close to USD $35 billion is lost in damage caused by natural disasters.  Of those affected, 60 per cent are from the lowest income bracket, mostly earning less than a US dollar a day.  A salient characteristic of natural disasters is that investment and planning tends to be reactionary. But it’s also true that preparedness and prevention are critical to reducing fatalities and destruction.

Communities depend on information before, during and after disasters. This means that ICTs become a lifeline for those affected. This fact ranks the mobile industry among the preeminent global bodies with the capacity to address disaster risk reduction- a reality that has been taken up in the initiatives of our members, including NTT DoCoMo, Vodafone, Smart Communications and AT&T.

A keystone of this vital work lies in establishing coordinated and reliable communications for national and international response agencies and customers. When disasters strike, these agencies need trusted points of contact within our industry. To underline this, we are creating a Coordination Database of key personnel within Mobile Operators who can liaise with the GSMA, and external facing humanitarian and disaster response agencies. We call on all operators to nominate individuals in their organisations to participate in this initiative, to improve the flow of information during crises, streamline requests and ensure a more coordinated and effective response.

This year, the United Nations has selected “Women and Girls: The (in)visible Force of Resilience” as the focus for their campaign on disaster risk reduction. This theme was selected to highlight the centrality of women in all areas of preparedness and resilience: from environmental policy to community-based activities.

To nominate an individual to participate in Disaster Response’s Coordination Database, email disasterreponse@gsm.org. 

Other local providers implemented similar technical measures for disaster response. In addition to such actions, it is also important to manage customer expectations by communicating the challenges of post-disaster communications. AT&T produced an effective outline of disaster tips for customers and small businesses, which highlights strategies such as ensuring that phone batteries are fully charged and making sure important numbers are stored on the handset. They also recommend that subscribers create family and/or business communication plans that define a central contact that is situated outside the disaster area. Importantly, they have highlighted that customers should expect busy networks and use alternative low bandwidth communication sources such as SMS rather than voice.

The importance of mobile operators being prepared for disasters has been increasingly recognised by the Government of the United States. For example, in March 2012, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that AT&T Inc. had become the first private sector company to be certified to DHS-selected standards under the Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Program (PS-Prep).PS-Prep signals a move by the DHS to recognise that engagement of the private sector is critical to a resilient national infrastructure during disasters. The programme will provide certification standards that will enable private sector organisations to enhance their capacity to plan for, respond to, and recover from natural disasters and other threats.

As the winds of Hurricane Isaac subsided, it became clear that the networks had held up relatively well, and that the damage was not as severe as anticipated. One of the contributing factors in achieving this outcome was the recognition by both government and mobile operators that investing in preparedness is critical to maintaining effective communications and resilience in the network. By providing certification in preparedness (even if voluntary), AT&T has shown great leadership in advancing minimum preparedness standards, and in bringing the critical role of mobile networks as a core component of emergency response to the fore.

Photo credit: LANCE/EOSDIS Rapid Response

The most serious earthquake experienced so far this century was in 1934, and measured 8.4 on the Richter scale. Another is predicted to strike central or western Nepal in the near future. A survey conducted by Kathmandu Valley Earthquake Risk Management Project (KVERMP) predicted that 40,000 casualties and 100,000 serious injuries could result from the next major earthquake to strike the country, and experts suggest this number could be even higher. The survey also estimates that 6 out of 10 buildings would likely collapse, 95% of water supply pipes would be damaged, 50% or bridges and 10% of roads could collapse. The survey also identifies that schools, hospitals and other critical infrastructure are also likely to be seriously impacted as building codes launched in 1994 have not been followed, materials are sub-standard and buildings are not reinforced. Experts predict that the next earthquake to strike Kathmandu could have even more devastating consequences than the Haiti earthquake of January 2010. The UN Resident Coordinator in Nepal, Robert Piper, noted, “Haiti at least had a port, and Nepal isn’t located 500 miles off the coast of Florida.”[1]

Legislation in Nepal, such as the Natural Calamity Act of 1982, has historically focused on response and relief without providing guidance on emergency preparedness and building resilience. The Nepal Risk Reduction Consortium (NRRC) was launched in 2009 to combat this, based on the Hyogo Framework and Nepal’s National Strategy for Disaster Risk Management also developed in 2009. It aims to bring together humanitarian and development partners, the private sector and representatives of key agencies of the Government of Nepal in order to reduce Nepal’s vulnerability to natural disasters, and includes representatives of the UN, IFRC and a range of donor agencies. In addition to protecting critical infrastructures such as schools and hospitals, protecting against flooding and boosting community and institutional capacities, the NRRC seeks also to enhance the Government of Nepal’s preparedness and response capabilities at the national, regional and local level, in part through strengthening resilient mobile phone networks.

National operator NCell have taken the initiative and developed a range of technical solutions to the threat of an impending hazard through their Disaster Preparedness Program in order to maximise the robustness of the infrastructure, protect employees and reduce network disruption. The program includes pre-identified points of contact within each section of the network, emergency backup communications devices, regular drills and a redundant network system to ensure that if one network fails, an alternative is available. NCell are also using earthquake resistant buildings, robust base stations on hills tops surrounding the Kathmandu Valley and ensuring that battery backup power is available to all sites. Mobile solutions are also deployable to replace damaged based stations or provide extra capacity to ensure networks can cope with damaged hardware and increased demands. NCell also have the capacity and the willingness to disseminate early warning messages to populations likely to be affected, and more coordination is needed with the NRRC and with national government structures to ensure that appropriate information can be sent in time to protect the population.

In light of increasing threat of catastrophic natural disasters, the GSMA Disaster Response Programme aims to support operators to collaborate effectively with national governments, humanitarian organisations and international bodies to protect mobile infrastructures and affected populations, and to ensure that communications networks remain resilient in the face of these threats.

According to ALNAP, in 2010 there were an estimated 274,000 humanitarian workers around the world.  In theory, humanitarianism should be quite simple: providing support for people who most need it. The roots of humanitarianism are centred in the belief that there is a moral imperative to ameliorate the suffering of others. However, in practice it can (and has) been a space full of moral, political and economic challenges. For a great overview of some of these tensions, check out these compiled perspectives from different international experts and thinkers on what humanitarianism means to them.

Humanitarianism has changed dramatically over the past decades, as the geopolitical landscape has evolved, and globalisation has increased. Aid workers in many places can no longer rely on an emblem affiliated with their role to protect them from being targeted, and indeed in many places they are actually sought out by warring parties. Since 2011, 109 humanitarian works have been killed and 132 have been kidnapped.

A recent exhibit by Tom Stoddart for the International Committee of the Red Cross called “Perspectives” highlights the extent to which medical relief personnel have become increasingly targeted in conflict zones. The politicization of aid, tensions between concepts of humanitarian action, humanitarian intervention, and increased scrutiny over a perceived lack of accountability and coordination within the humanitarian systems has, at times, cast a shadow over the critical work of humanitarians, and the principles which they rely upon to guide their efforts.

So what are these principles? Humanitarian work is typically guided by the seven fundamental principles developed by the ICRC in 1965. Additionally, view OCHA’s messaging on humanitarian principles. Many or all of these principles have been adopted by various humanitarian organisations, and the principles of humanity, universality, neutrality and impartiality are widely held up as the cornerstones of humanitarianism.

As new actors and new technologies become integrated into humanitarian action, there is an increasing need to ensure that these new tools and communities reflect the core notions that engaging in humanitarian space is predicated on. There is also a growing call for the existing system to respond and adapt to the changes and challenges presented by a shifting operational environment.

World Humanitarian Day is an opportunity to reflect on these principles, to celebrate those who embody them through their work, to consider those affected by humanitarian disasters and think about how we can all help each other a little bit more.

Since then, the capital Manila and northern parts of the country have been inundated by 9 days of torrential rains and extreme flooding from Monday. Approximately 80% of the capital is now under water. Slum dwellers and the poor have been particularly affected by the threat of landslides, and agricultural production has been negatively impacted. Financial Markets re-opened yesterday, however schools and businesses remain closed, and emergency response agencies are working to evacuate residents and provide essential supplies.

The Philippines experiences an average of 20 typhoons of varying severity on an annual basis. The mobile network, and the role of mobile operators within the country are becoming increasingly critical to facilitating effective response and supporting affected populations.

SMART Communications Inc. has been working on maximising their communications infrastructure and human resources for disaster response since 1998, and they have initiated emergency preparedness and disaster response protocols in the wake of the floods. The following activities have been implemented thus far:

• Set-up of free call stations called “Libreng Tawag” in evacuation centres, with access to charging facilities and internet provision, with deployment of SMART staff to support. As of yesterday, 12 Libreng Tawag centres had been set up, with more rolling out.
• A free top-up facility for those with a zero balance: *SOS provides customers with 3 SMS messages and airtime
• On-line advisory board alerting customers and emergency responders to any network interruptions, and the resulting restoration activities
• SMART person finder to assist customers in locating loved ones
• SMART employees working with local government authorities to distribute essential aid in flood-affected areas
• Opening of an SMS channel to receive donations for the Red Cross
• Regular updates and guidance on their social media channels (both Facebook and Twitter: @Smartcares)

SMART’s network remains strong  with the exception of some isolated  3G problems and power outages, however voice and text are still working, and SMART is providing real-time updates and swift deployment of network engineers to address any technical and network management challenges (primarily a 6 hour outage in one region). SMART also participates in a programme called Noah’s Ark which partners with local government and the Corporate Network for Disaster Response. This programme works with disaster-prone communities on evacuation and warning drills to improve preparedness and community-based resilience.

Internally, SMART has developed a strong  and practical organisational structure and procedures to enable them to act quickly in disasters:

• Maintaining a closed Facebook group for employees with emergency contacts for rescue and relief among employees are coordinated
• Regular email and SMS advisories
• Employee Facebook accounts that act as a work platform interfacing with the public to provide information to a wide audience
• Regular communication with local government units through Smart’s on-the-ground network of sales, field engineers and community care personnel.

In my correspondence with SMART yesterday, The Head of Public Affairs, Ramon Isberto commented that “the floods we are currently experiencing has been posing some extraordinary challenges for us.” Ramon and several other SMART employees joined the GSMA Disaster Response Working Group in Shanghai at MAE to share some of their strategies and challenges with the wider mobile and humanitarian community. Core to their activities are preparedness and strong community-based engagement and coordination with relevant Government authorities.

Despite the obvious challenges they face, SMART’s activities are an excellent example of leadership in disaster response within the mobile industry, and a call to action for other operators to prioritise preparedness and coordination in advance of crises.

Photo: SMART Communications Inc.

Power failure is the major reason for breakdown of communication networks after disasters and it affects both developed and developing countries alike. Perhaps surprisingly, developing countries often have the edge as their networks are mostly designed to accommodate poor electricity supplies and their systems have a greater degree of power autonomy. Developed nations have become used to reliable power distributed from large centralised generating facilities via high voltage transmission lines to low voltage distribution systems and then to the end user. When disaster strikes, failure in high voltage transmission lines can leave huge areas without power; because these lines spread out over wide areas, the vulnerability is especially high. One way of reducing the vulnerability would be to identify local means of securing the provision of power to vital services such as schools, cell sites, gas stations, etc.

Distributed Generation (DG) could provide an answer to sustaining critical services during extended power outages following a disaster. Rather than relying on large centralized power facilities, DG collects and distributes electricity from many small energy sources, (small generators, gas turbines, or renewables, like solar and wind). A recent study from Carnegie Mellon University researchers Anu Narayanan and M. Granger Morgan looked at the possibility of creating energy “islands” by using DG units together with distribution automation and smart meters that will disconnect non-essential loads and optimise power usage. Their strategy looked at the cost of providing critical essential services to an area that serves 5,000 households via DG, services which consisted of 1 police station, 1 grocery store, 4 gas stations, 10 cell towers, 1 school and a number of streetlights for a total power requirement of 350 kW.

The added cost to each household was calculated to be a maximum of $22 per year for implementing the various DG scenarios. This may look like good value, but in these challenging economic times, consumers may not be willing to cover the cost to insure against what we all hope will be infrequent events. Likewise, it is uncertain if a utility company would cover the investment costs alone. Instead the responsibility could be shared: utilities companies, government and commercial companies (for example the Mobile Network Operators) could work out a strategy to cover both the capital and operational costs.

The paper suggests that constructing regional DG circuits may reduce the effects of mains electricity failure resulting from disasters, meaning that the critical services necessary for the health and safety of communities stay up and running during long power outages.

This may or may not turn out to be a practical solution, but is clear that the centralised electricity generating and distribution systems that we currently rely on to supply our ever increasing demands for power,  are not resilient to disasters. We do need to rethink the way that we distribute electricity to vital services, especially in disaster prone areas.

Note: For more information see:

Sustaining Critical Social Services During Extended Regional Power Blackouts Anu Narayanan*, M. Granger Morgan published in -  Risk Analysis Volume 32, Issue 7, pages 1183–1193, July 2012 and is available from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1539-6924.2011.01726.x/full