2CL0E26 Disaster Management

Disaster Communication

By:
Prof. Alka Shah
Civil Engineering Department
Institute of Technology
School of Engineering
Nirma University
 Disaster
Communication
?
• Any system which provides communication between affected
people and first responders, support systems, family, friends and
those who provide relief

• Disaster Communication during/immediately after a disaster

situation is an important component of response and recovery

• Disaster Communications System (DCS) is a set of technical

solutions that provides responders and affected people, to
communicate in extreme situations
 List out systems
that can be use for
communication
 Case study Disaster Communication
Hurricane Sandy 2012

New jersey and new York was severely impacted by hurricane

sandy, with economic losses to businesses of up to $30 billion.
Sandy, the most intense storm of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane
season, formed in the Caribbean sea north of Panama on October
22, 2012. As it moved northward, the hurricane degenerated into a
still-massive extratropical cyclone and made landfall on New
jersey on October 29.
Over two million households in the state lost power in the storm,
346,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, and 37 people were
killed. Strom surge and flooding affected a large swath of the state.
 Case study Disaster Communication
Superstorm Sandy 2012

• In June 2013, the Associated Press-NORC (non-partisan and

objective research organization) Centre for Public Affairs
Research released the results of a national survey

• National survey was carried out at affected region of new York

and new jersey by superstorm sandy

• The survey included questions that asked resident in the affected

area about their modes of communication during the storm
 Case study Disaster Communication
Superstorm Sandy

• SURVEY SHOWS THAT AFFECTED INDIVIDUALS COMMUNICATED

DURING THE STORM WITH LOW-TECH METHODS, ELECTRONIC
COMMUNICATIONS, AND SOCIAL MEDIA

Communication system used

by residents by level of
personal storm impact
Case study Disaster Communication
Superstorm Sandy

Positive social interactions were

more likely in neighbourhoods
when people reported using in-
person communications during
the storm.
 Case study Disaster Communication
Superstorm Sandy

• CELL PHONE SERVICE PROBLEMS WERE WIDESPREAD AS A RESULT OF

SUPERSTORM SANDY

• A majority of residents (54 percent) living in the affected region say they experienced
issues with their cellular phone service, including limited or no cell signal, as a direct
result of Superstorm Sandy.
 Case study Disaster Communication
Superstorm Sandy

• AGE IS CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH COMMUNICATION METHODS AND

SOCIAL MEDIA USE IN A DISASTER SITUATION.
Communication methods by age
of respondent
Disaster Communication Systems
Modes for Emergency Communication

Radio

• In the scenario where normal telephone and mobile phone network is disrupted or such
services have never existed in the disaster affected area, there is need to find out other
reliable means of communicating urgent messages from the site to shorter and longer
distances.

• The first obvious choice is to establish a wireless radio communication network limited
to the area of operations. Any wireless communication link is based on the Radio waves
either using the terrestrial or satellite systems.

• Hand held wireless sets (walky talky) are considered to be more suitable for local
communication in case of such emergencies.
Modes for Emergency Communication

Amateur (Ham) Radio

• In the event of major disasters/emergencies, it has been

experienced that Amateur Radios have worked successfully when
no other communications worked. Amateur radio, also known as
‘Ham radio’, does not refer to special kind of radio but to a
special set of rules which apply to certain frequencies as defined
by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and
regulated in India by Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing,
Ministry of Communications

• The word Amateur implies the use of radio communications for

non-commercial purposes.
Modes for Emergency Communication
Modes for Emergency Communication
Satellite Based Communications Systems

• Different satellites carry out different jobs, such as taking weather pictures or finding
accurate positions on earth in terms of latitudes and longitudes.

• Communications satellites are essentially radio relay stations in space and are
sometimes referred to as COMSATs. The other words you may hear are SATCOMS
for satellite communications in general and SATPHONE for a satellite phone terminal.

• Present operational Indian space systems include Indian National Satellite (INSAT) for
tele-communication, television broadcasting, meteorology and disaster warning and
Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS) for resources monitoring and management.

• This mode of communication is most reliable as the radio relay stations,

Communications satellites, are in space and not at all vulnerable to any natural
disasters on the earth
 Disaster Communication Systems
Satellite Phones

• In Monsoon-2004, severe flood situations in the States of Assam and

Bihar caused major devastation. Many district head quarters got totally
cut-off from the State head quarter and neighbouring districts due to
submerged telephone exchanges or damaged cables and disrupted roads
and railways communication.

• In the worst affected districts the need for relief and rescue operation
could not be communicated to the State head quarters.

• Realizing this, State Government requested National Disaster

Management Division of the Government of India to immediately send
the emergency coordination kits containing satellite phones to establish
communication links among the severely affected districts and state
headquarters.
Early Warning Systems in Disaster Management
 Early Warning Systems (EWSs)
 Early warning is a major element of disaster
risk reduction. It prevents loss of life and
reduces the economic and material impact of
disasters. To be effective, early warning
systems need to actively involve the
communities at risk, facilitate public education
and awareness of risks, effectively disseminate
messages and warnings and ensure there is
constant state of preparedness.

 The purpose of this information is to enable

individuals, communities and organizations
threatened to prepare and act appropriately and
in sufficient time to reduce the possibility of
harm, loss or risk
 Early Warning Systems (EWSs)

Planning

Recovery Mitigation

Response Preparedness EWSs

 Early Warning Systems (EWSs)

What is EWSs? How to define?

 An Early Warning System (EWS) can be defined as a set of capacities needed to

generate and disseminate timely and meaningful warning information of the
possible extreme events or disasters (e.g. floods, drought, fire, earthquake and
tsunamis) that threatens people‘s lives.

 An EWS is a social process for generating maximum accurate information about

possible future harm and for ensuring that this information reaches the people
threatened by this harm, as well as others disposed to protect them from the harm
 Early Warning Systems (EWSs)

NEED of EWSs
 The first one, clearly, is public safety, and the protection of human lives

 The second is the protection of the nation‘s resource base and productive assets
(infrastructure and private property or investments) to ensure long-term development and
economic growth. Conversely, by reducing the impact of disasters, a government avoids
the financial –and political- burden of massive rehabilitation costs

From a public policy viewpoint, early warning, disaster preparedness and prevention must be
part of a single, well integrated process.
 Early Warning Systems (EWSs)

Characteristics
Continuity in operation
Timely warnings
Transparency
Integration
Human capacity
Flexibility
Apolitical
 Early Warning Systems (EWSs)

Phases of EWSs

 Three phase

 Four phase
 Early Warning Systems (EWSs)

Elements of EWSs
People centred elements
 Early Warning Systems (EWSs)
Elements of EWSs
• Dynamic nature of hazards
• Vulnerabilities that arise from
processes such as
urbanization, rural land-use
change, environmental
degradation and climate
change
• To motivate people
provides essential information to
set priorities for mitigation and
prevention strategies and
designing
 Early Warning Systems (EWSs)
Elements of EWSs

• Core of system
• Constant monitoring to
generate accurate warning
Systems with monitoring and
predicting capabilities provide
timely estimates of the potential
risk faced by communities,
economies and the environment.
 Early Warning Systems (EWSs)
Elements of EWSs
• Regional, national and
community level
communication channels must
be identified in advance
• Communication systems are
needed for delivering warning
messages to the potentially
affected locations to alert. The
messages need to be reliable,
synthetic and simple to be
understood by authorities and
public.
 Early Warning Systems (EWSs)
Elements of EWSs
• communities understand their
risks; they must respect the
warning service
• should know how to react
• Coordination, good
governance and appropriate
action plans are a key point in
effective early warning
• public awareness and
education are critical aspects
of disaster mitigation.
 Early Warning Systems (EWSs)

Key Elements for successful implementation of early warning:

 Understand the most likely threats, likelihood of disasters and their potential consequences
 Establish proper priorities
 Developing institutional networks with clear responsibilities
 Establish or strengthen the legislative/legal framework and mechanisms
 Developing effective communication systems
 Securing resources