Dynamics of various conventional and advanced information and communication technologies in earthquakes

Dynamics of various Conventional and advanced

Information and Communication Technologies in

Earthquakes

(A user’s perspective)

Supervisors

Dr Susan Grant-Muller

Dr Frank Lai

Presenter

Engr. Izza Anwer

[email protected]

Institute of Transport Studies

Contents of presentation

State of the art

Research objective

Research questions

Methodology

Focus Group

Identified Factors

Conclusions

Future work

Take home message

State of the art

(Wang et al., 2010) Recommends that traffic in a disaster during evacuation (or relief operations) adds more critical problems to existing traffic problems that can be

controlled by continuous information flow through ICT technologies.

(Adam J. Pel1 2012) Recommends that timely and efficient evacuation and rescue and search operations are strongly dependent on the timely flow of information.

(Sommerfeldt, 2014) Recommends the systematic study of the use of information and communication sources in a crisis because new technologies are diffusing in society at

a rapid pace.

(Societies, 2013) Recommends further study of information and communication advancements and their relation with individuals and communities (at a humanitarian level) in disasters (earthquakes) because they are the first and most directly affected.

(Shaluf, 2007) Recommends in his work that studying any disaster by considering any particular stage and ignoring the rest of the disaster misses much useful information. A

disaster should be studied for all three technological stages.

State of the art

Dynamics of Earthquakes

• Intensities of an earthquake

• Stages of an earthquake

Dynamics of ICT Technologies

• By the individuals of communities

• To the individuals of communities

Dynamics of Transport

• Evacuation of the people affected (outbound)

• Emergency and recue of the people affected (Inbound)

Dynamics of Information and Communication

technologies










Information and Communication Technologies

Dynamics of Earthquake (affecting ICT)










Dynamics of an Earthquake

Dynamics of Transport (affected by ICT)










Dynamics of an Earthquake

affecting the Traffic and Transport system

Objective

To understand the use of ICT technologies by

individuals and communities in an

earthquake to mitigate the information and

communication gaps and to improve transport

system in earthquake scenarios.

Research Questions

“How and what types of ICT technologies are (or can be) used in different stages and intensities of earthquakes by

individuals and communities?”

Overall Research Plan

ICT technologies

used for transport

system in disaster

by Individuals and

communities

Data fusion

from

different

sources

Combined ICT

technology model

for transport

system in disasters

Validation of model

(transport system in

earthquake and

flood)

Quantitative

Qualitative

Data collection from

different resources

and methods

Research presented here

ICT technologies

used for transport

system in disaster

by Individuals and

communities

Data fusion

from

different

sources

Combined ICT

technology model

for transport

system in disasters

Validation of model

(transport system in

earthquake and

flood)

Quantitative

Qualitative

Data collection from

different resources

and methods

Methodology

Design of prompts

Ethical review

Focus group

discussion

Focus Group

Participants Gender Age Nature of work

1. Male 65+ Private business owner

2 Female 41 - 65 Home maker

3 Male 26 - 40 Part time student and private employee

4 Female 18 - 25 Full time student

5 Female 26 – 40 Government employee

6 Female 26 – 40 Full time student and home maker

7 Male 26 – 40 Private employee


9 Male 26 – 40 Full time student / part time employee

10 Female 26 – 40 Full time student / part time employee


12 Female 18 - 25 Full time student / part time employee

Identified Factors (in pre, during and after

earthquake periods)

Priority of using ICT technologies in

earthquake

Age factor (ICT generation gap)

Gender and Professional engagement

The evolution of ICT technologies over time

Evacuations, Emergency services and

vehicles

Urban Vs rural area (and terrain)

Community strength building through ICT

technologies

Priority of using ICT technologies in earthquake

(Pre, During and Post stages)

Age (ICT generation gap)

Elder participants were not comfortable using advance ICT technologies (such as GPS, tracker maps, social media websites)

Younger participants were more comfortable in using advanced ICT technologies

Gender and Professional engagement

“I only have to stay

home and my social

circle is not that big

so I do not need to

spend more money

on smartphones if a

simple mobile phone

can serve the same

purpose. In addition,

I do not have time

out of household

activities to

participate in social

media activities”

• Gender does not affect use of ICT

technologies. However, male

members were more proactive in

seeking information and

communication compared to the

female members.

• Members of community who were

more engaged in professional (or

social) activities and usually drove a

vehicle by themselves used ICT

technologies in earthquake

The evolutions of ICT technologies over time

“I am getting

older and

weaker with

time but ICT

technologies

are getting

younger and

stronger”

• Participants did not use

advanced ICT technology in

previous decade.

• Participants have observed

other people using ICT

technologies in earthquake

e.g. to get information about

earthquakes’ magnitude

• Participants have used

simple mobile phones and

social media websites in

recent years.

Evacuations, Emergency services and vehicles

“I was attending class …. the

building started moving

vigorously.….. I felt dizzy…

then I realized that everything

was vibrating….no one could

move….not even our

teacher…… some one yelled

that it’s an earthquake……

door was jammed….we could

not escaped….some people

were still picking their

belongings….. without

realizing …. how critical the

situation was.”

• No participant

contacted emergency

and rescue services,

however, participants

have observed other

people doing so.

• Participants have

observed rescue

services using GPS

system to reach to

hospital / affected

people using shortest

path.

Urban Vs rural area (and terrain)

“Few decades before

…... communication

was not very effective

to contact loved

ones…..in farther

areas….. in

earthquake…. we used

to write letters to the

loved ones ….. If they

replied back……..they

are alive.”

• Urban area population

was not able to use ICT

technology

• Why?

• Rural area population

was not able to use ICT

technology

• Why?

• Hilly areas or other

difficult terrains’

population was not able

to use ICT technology

• Why?

Community strength building through ICT technologies

“It was a working

day and I was in my

office, as I noticed

objects were

vibrating on my

table, I rushed

outside the office

while dialling at

home”.

ICT technology enhances

community strength

(supporting each other

physically, emotionally,

psychologically and

financially) in various

dimensions in an

earthquake such as quick or

guided traffic evacuations.

sharing of vehicles,

information and other

resources in crisis.

Conclusions

Age and sophistication of ICT technologies used are inter-related. Individuals with higher age experienced themselves to be more dependent (while evacuation and use of ICT technology) on the younger individuals in an earthquake .

Earthquake complicated scenarios (intensities and different stages) affects and limit the use of in hand ICT technologies.

ICT technologies used by different individuals and communities and authorities in earthquakes are not the same and hence leave many addressable loopholes in the information and communication flows.

Use of social media, GPS and other information and communication applications are dependent on the availability of Wi-Fi (internet). Thus, people affected in the earthquake find it difficult to evacuate the area without any guidance.

Conclusions

Choice of ICT technology (by individuals and the community) is dependent on the complexity (or simplicity) of that technology, ease and purpose of use in earthquake (as earthquake is very critical time).

ICT technologies are the first step that can help to develop community strength.

A smart phone provides lots of options for information flow and communication, but there are issues with battery life.

The ICT technologies that are used by individuals and communities have certain limitations in earthquakes. There is need to consider those advance transport technologies that can be operated remotely.

Future work

Next step…..detailed data collection from different

individuals and communities…is due in

January 2015

Existing ICT technologies that can be used in transport system in an earthquake and can be operated remotely will

be investigated further.

Take home message

The role of existing ICT technologies should be integrated with the other

advance transport technologies (that can be operated remotely) to

improve the transport system in an earthquake

References

(Sommerfeldt, 2014)SOMMERFELDT, E. J. 2014. Disasters and

Information Source Repertoires: Information Seeking and

Information Sufficiency in Postearthquake Haiti. Journal of

Applied Communication Research, 43, 1-22.

(Adam J. Pel1 2012)ADAM J. PEL1 , M. C. J. B. A. S. P. H. 2012.

A review on travel behaviour modelling in dynamic traffic

simulation models for evacuations.

(Tribune, December 11, 2013, Societies, 2013)SOCIETIES, I. F. O.

R. C. A. R. C. 2013. World Disasters Report 2013 Focus on

technology and the future of humanitarian action.

(Wang et al., 2010)WANG, F., LI, C., ZHOU, X., NAYAK, M. &

CHEN, X. 2010. Effectiveness of Traffic Management Strategies

at Destination during Emergency Evacuation. Journal of

Transportation Safety & Security, 2, 152-170.

(Shaluf, 2007)SHALUF, I. M. 2007. An overview on the

technological disasters. Disaster Prevention and Management,

16, 380-390.

Acknowledgement

Dr Susan Grant-Muller

Dr Frank Lai

Technology

Dynamics of various conventional and advanced information and communication technologies in earthquakes