LIRNEasia’s Executive Director will speak at the International Conference on Information, Communication and New Media & the First Annual Convention of the Information and Communication Association of Taiwan, being held in Taipei on 17 May 2008. His presentaiton, Asia at the leading edge of communication and new media developments? can be downloaded by clicking on the link.

LIRNEasia might not be as high tech as some of the big IT players but in our own way we have made a successful effort to make ourselves a virtual team. Not a choice – that was the only way we could operate in multiple countries (For example, in this cycle, TRE surveys will be in nine countries -  Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand; not to mention CPRSouth 3 in Beijing)without budgets comparable to what INGOs use to run regional networks.

We also thought our own experiences will be useful for others. Hence the Virtual Organisation (VO)  project. It had two aspects; developing the VO and using it to conduct LIRNEasia’s other research projects.

The case study is now out. It describes our efforts, outcome and lessons learnt. It is intended for any research/civil society (or even private sector or government) organisation, with limited staff that plans to work from geographically distant locations. It is also for project based organisations with limited overhead budgets.

Downlaod the full report at the link below.

Report: LIRNEasia as a model Virtual Organisation

The Colloquium that reviewed the Sahana SMS messaging Module was started off with Natasha Udu-gama giving a background summary to the SMS messaging Module. She noted that this project was developed for Sarvodaya and was sponsored by LIRNEasia. Primary the messaging module attempts to get the SMS to the first responders within Sarvodaya.

The reasoning for doing this was to address the lack of interest on the part of the government to respond on the 12th of september. Therefore LIRNEasia felt that this technology was needed and stepped in to fill this gap.

The Sahana company was behind developing the technology needed for this project.

All new technologies do not always work in emergency situations. There has been a great deal of research into using SMS to reach the final user. Therefore LIRNEasia chose to use this medium to address this need. Sahana disaster maangement systems have become the de facto disaster management system worldwide. The inspiration behind this movement was the Tsuanami. The system allows for a great deal of flexibility and allows it to be tailor made to local needs. The latest deployment was in Bangladesh.

The main features of the system are as follows,

• snd and recieve SMS/ email - surveys showed that SMS was the most effective way of reaching the end user.
• Maintain a contact list
• Managing ad-hoc groups to snd SMS
• Stored and template messages
• sending survey messages and generating survey reports - snd out questionnaires, retrieve the responses, process the information and generate the reports.

The system uses the Sahana survey, a GSM gateway, GSM modem and either mobile phone or a computer. Key advantages are as follows,

• The module is built on Sahana
• It is free and open source software
• It is a web based solution which enables you to access it from any place
• Built on top of a Plugin architecture which is highly extensible- have option to use diff GMS gateways. This enables one to plugin any gateway for the use of the system.

These features are especially pertinent in emergency situations.

The presentation was inclusive of a demonstration of the Sahana disaster messaging module.

When the SMS is recieved by the SMSee a delivery message is recieved by the person who initiated the message. However, the availability of this service depends on the gateway being used. The system also allows surveys to be done, where the period of the survey, topic, answers and contact list can be controlled. The Survey contacts need to be in a contact group. There is no limit on the number of contacts that can be in one contact group therefore it can allow for mass SMS spaming.

Rohan Samarajiva noted that during a emergency there is an inherent delay and so will that result in large delays and SMS’s getting blocked? The response to this was that each SMS is released one at the time. As the survey sending out of SMS is sequentially. Therefore this will result in delays. This means that the most crucial numbers should be sent the messages first. This technology is being tested now with a project being run for Sarvodaya.

Nuwan: Can SMS be sent overseas? The feasibility of that would depend on the telecom package that is being used. If it allows for IDD facilities then international SMS can be sent.

Rohan Samarajiva: Can SMS be send from one operator to another? if so, is this slow than when within the same network? The answers to these questions are still not clear as the testing is still underway.

Sanjana: Can messages be deleted? No, all messages are archived but the messages can be moved for storage.

The system will have message templates that will allow for the statistics to be inserted and the message sent.

Nuwan: Is this system only available for english? or can the SMS be sent in sinhala and tamil? if so, can these messages be sent simulataneously? The system allows for messages to be sent in sinhala and tamil but it cannot be sent simultaneously. However, mobile phones will need a special package to be able to recieve messages in other languages. If this software is inserted in the phone, then the message will be able to be delivered in the local language.

Africa is the world’s fastest growing market for mobile phones over the last three years with 65 million new subscribers in 2007 alone, according to the head of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Hamadoun Touré, ITU Secretary-General, said the figure is cited in the United Nations agency’s regional report entitled “African Telecommunication/ICT Indicators 2008: At a Crossroads,” which he presented at the opening of the ITU Telecom Africa trade fair here on Monday.

A UN press release quoted Toure as saying, “Today, the African ICT industry is an exciting place to be. Market liberalization continues and most countries have established regulatory bodies to ensure a fair, competitive and enabling environment.”

The report indicated that there were more than 250 million mobile subscribers on the continent at the start of 2008.

Yesterday, LIRNEasia successfully concluded 1.5 day Knowledge sharing workshop on methods for ICT user research in emerging markets in Negombo, Sri Lanka. The workshop brought together researchers from the region to share methods (quantitative as well as qualitative) for accurately capturing the teleuse experience of those at the bottom of the pyramid (BOP) or in emerging markets.

In conducting its previous research (Teleuse@BOP1 and Teleuse@BOP2), LIRNEasia has found that this kind of research requires a different approach to that in more mature markets. Experience with research in developed markets has involved (in addition to sample surveys, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions) the analysis of telephone bills as well as call logs on mobile phones, and even the deployment of real time technologies such as Interactive Voice Response (IVR).

But, when it comes to capturing the different dimensions and nuances of usage at the BOP, there are issues which limit the extent to which these methods can be used. In some emerging Asian countries, although almost everyone at the BOP has access to a phone, many don’t own that phone; how can we capture usage patterns accurately at the BOP when it is a public phone being used? Furthermore, more than 90 percent of mobile connections at the BOP are prepaid; how do we capture usage and expenditure patterns where no billing records exist?

Among the workshop participants were researchers from Telenor Research and Innovation (Norway as well as Asia Pacific, Isis International (Philippines) and Sustainable Development Policy Institute (Pakistan), in addition to LIRNEasia’s research fellows from the University of Delhi (India), Thailand Research Development Institute (TRDI) and the National College of Public Administration, University of the Philippines.

Research methods and experiences were exchanged, and lengthy discussions on the Teleuse@BOP2 design and methodology were held; many valuable ideas were contributed by the participants, which will feed into the design of Teleuse@BOP3. Particular attention was paid to how demand modeling can be done, given the data that is likely to result, how the use of ‘more than voice’ or Mobile2.0 applications can be captured, how the true value of telecom access can be ascertained, how the gendered aspects of telecom use can be better captured, and how the diary methodology can be improved to obtain data that can be further leveraged. Summaries of the discussions will be posted later.

Is accurate early warning possible for earthquakes?

Chief ministerial candidate Rauff Hakeem told ‘Lanka Dissent’ that the Ministry of Defence has ordered service providers to interrupt mobile phone services in the Eastern Province, which goes to polls tomorrow (May 10th).

He also said that the government was preparing to stage a massive vote rigging on election day and the move seems to prevent the outside world from getting information on those violations in the East.

As a former Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Mr. Hakeem said the Defence Ministry could give such orders only on matters pertaining to national security.
 
The chief ministerial candidate added that he would initiate legal action against any service provider and other responsible officials if such undue interruptions are effected tomorrow.

http://www.lankadissent.com/allnews/2008_05_09_12_news.htm
 

There will be a Colloquium held on tuesday, the 13th of May that will review the SMS module within the Disaster Management Project. This Colloquium will be conducted by Natasha Udu-gama and will commence at 4.00 p.m (Sri Lanka/ India time).

We welcome all those who are interested to join us virtually through our online blogging. There also will be a Skypecast conducted of the event. However this will be a private Skypecast, so those who are interested in joining please send an email to alawattegama@lirne.net and the link will be forwarded to you.

We hope you will join this Colloquium and share your views on the subject.

This article summarizes the series of event leading up to the impact, the events during the devastation, and other noteworthy information pertaining to cyclone Nargis’ encounter in Myanmar (Burma).

Before the impact

26-04-2008: The early signs of Nargis developing in the Bay of Bengal were detected by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC). “Way back on April 26, we told them a cyclone was coming,” B. P. Yadav said, referring to general warnings of a growing storm. According to a Inter Press Service (IPS) - IMD which keeps a close track of geo-climatic events in the Bay of Bengal and releases warnings not only to provinces on the Indian east coast but also to vulnerable littoral countries said it warned Myanmar (Burma) authorities of Cyclone Nargis’ formation and possible approach.

26-04-2008: The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) also provided Myanmar and neighboring countries with a model forecast of the storm, with accurate predictions of its landfall and strength, seven days before the cyclone hit, said Bhichit Rattakul, the executive director.

26-04-2008: Myanmar’s meteorology department started to send out warnings six days before Cyclone Nargis hit the coast, based on information from World Meteorological Organization (WMO) offices around the world, Dieter Schiessl (WMO Secretariat) told reporters in Geneva, where the agency is based.

27-04-2008: IMD and JTWC classified the storm as a Category-2 and named the first Sevier Indian Ocean storm of the 2008 season as ‘Nargis’, which initially tracked a northwestward path.

27-04-2008: Myanmar’s Meteorology and Hydrology Department posted a warning on its official website on April 27. When examined, the “warnings” section for “strong wind warnings” or any of the other sections on the website, it did not indicate of such a warning being posted. The screen dump dump of the page shows that the last warning posted was on March 01. Although the department said that a cyclone was forming in the Bay of Bengal and was heading towards Burma the information was not widely disseminated.

28-04-2008: IMD issued regular updates to the Myanmar government, said M. Mahapatra, the department’s cyclone director. “The system had intensified into a cyclone on April 28,” he said.

29-04-2008: Dry air weakened the cyclone but later begins a steady eastward motion and intensifies to 165 kmph winds. “Forty-eight hours before (tropical cyclone) Nargis struck, we indicated its point of crossing (landfall), its severity and all related issues to Myanmarese agencies,” IMD spokesman B.P. Yadav told Agence France Press (AFP ). Myanmar officials were provided with computer-generated plots of the storm’s likely route that accurately predicted its landfall, trajectory and strength.

30-04-2008: A full 48 hours before the storm crashed ashore, Myanmar officials were provided with computer-generated plots of the storm’s likely route that accurately predicted its landfall, trajectory and strength.

02-05-2008: Bangladeshi authorities in six coastal districts were put on alert as the weather office predicted that the powerful cyclone may hit the country on Friday, according to BBC.

Day of impact 02-05-2008

Note: Myanmar standard (MMT) time is UTC + 6.5

06:00 UTC - Figure 2 shows that at the point marked by the time 02/06Z (6 GMT or 12:30 MMT on May 2 ) Nargis had sustained winds of 212 kmph (115 knots) with gusts of up to 260 kmph (140 knots). Even after making landfall, it was expected to remain at Category 2 strength for a time, with winds above 160 kmph.

06:00 UTC - Global Disaster and Alert Coordination System (GDACS) issues bulletin updating cyclone to Category-4 with estimated impact time to be 08:15 UTC ( 01:45 MMT) with winds speeds of 205 kmph. See GDACS cyclone alert archives for the sequence of 25 bulletins with cyclone trajectory.

12:00 UTC - At 5:30 MMT, Cyclone moves ashore in the Ayeyarwady Division of Myanmar with winds picking up to 215Km/h, classified as a Category-4 cyclone as it approached landfall of Pagoda Point - Myanmar.

15:08 UTC - IMD issues final bulletin: BOB 01/2008/42 Dated: 02 May, 2008

Subject: Very Severe Cyclonic storm “NARGIS” over eastcentral Bay of Bengal.

The very severe cyclonic storm “NARGIS” over eastcentral Bay of Bengal moved further eastwards and lay centred at 2030 hrs IST (19:30 MMT) of today, the 2^nd may 2008 over Myanmar near lat. 16.0^º N long. 95.0^ºE about 160 km southwest of yangon. The system is likely to move in a east-northeasterly direction and weaken gradually. Under its influence, rain/thundershower is likely at many places with isolated heavy falls over Andaman & Nicobar Islands during next 24 hours. Gale wind speed reaching 60-70 kmph is likely over Andaman Islands and adjoining sea areas during next 24 hours. Sea condition will be very rough to high around Andaman Islands. Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea. This is the last bulletin for this system.

Aftermath - Damage Assessment

“The storm surge was the major cause of the disaster,” said Dieter Schiessl, director of the World Meteorological Organization’s disaster risk reduction unit. The destruction of lives and property was blamed on the 3.6 meter (12 foot) high storm surge that accompanied Cyclone Nargis.

Early suggestions that the number of deaths were in the hundreds were quickly revised upwards by authorities in Yangon, currently standing at 23,000 with reports indicating that the final death-toll could be as high as 63,000. The state media says more than 42,000 others were still missing with estimated 40 percent of the dead or missing believed to be children.

Cyclone’s damage was concentrated over an area of about 30,000 square-kilometers (11,580 square miles) stretching along the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Martaban coastlines. This stretch is home to nearly a quarter of Myanmar’s 57 million people.

Burma’s military leaders must feel especially threatened. The five states hardest hit by last weekend’s cyclone produce 65% of the country’s rice, 80% of its aquaculture, 50% of its poultry and 40% of its pigs.

Storm packing winds of 190 kmp (120 mph) had left the delta region submerged under six-metre (20-foot) waters higher than the tree-tops — and left countless corpses rotting in the heat.

This map taken from the UNOSAT archives provides the names of townships in the path of Nargis.

Lack of an effective early warning system

The government of Myanmar told the United Nations it warned its population of the devastating cyclone that struck over the weekend, but it lacked radar to predict the high tidal waves that caused most of the fatalities, the U.N. weather agency said Wednesday. According to Howrah, Myanmar told the worldwide organization that it had warned the population in newspapers, television and radio broadcasts of the impending storm, he said.

Schiessl said his organization was unable to verify how the warning information was used by the authorities and “what really reached individuals.”

Dr. Smith Dharmasaroja, chairman of Thailand’s National Disaster Warning Centre, said the Myanmar government’s response was insufficient and he believes that the Myanmar government also does not have proper coastal radars to detect that a cyclone is approaching. “That’s why they are not able to prepare in time”, Dr. Smith added.

The Myanmar government first learned that a cyclone was brewing in the Bay of Bengal nearly a week before it slammed into Myanmar. According to Mizzima, an outfit specializing in Myanmar related news and media mentioned that the State-run media did not issue a cyclone alert until the afternoon of Friday, May 2. The storm first struck the Irrawaddy Delta in late afternoon Friday and swept into Rangoon early Saturday.

“Though my daughters said they knew about the announcement, I was not aware of the cyclone because I am not interested in watching TV, and there was no public announcement in the locality,” said a Rangoon resident whose house was smashed by a falling tree.

Burmese radio and television carried vague warnings, with little information about the approaching storm, and offered no instructions on how people should cope when it struck.

Tropical cyclones have hit the country on average only once in 40 years, a reason that preparedness may not have been a top priority for Myanmar, he said.

Other related events

The only concession to a people reeling from the devastation caused by the cyclone is a shifting of polling day from May 10, as scheduled, to May 25 in some of the worst affected areas like Rangoon and the Irrawaddy Delta. It was indicative of the ruling junta’s calculated concern for its own power and its readiness to manipulate the media solely for propaganda purposes.

“… will this topple the Burma junta?“

There has been a continuing discussion on this website about “free” WiFi. We were of the opinion that sustainability depended on some kind of payment, directly or as part of a bundle of services. The lights are going out on the metropolitan WiFi networks in the cities that did not address this issue. The linked article, which refers primarily to use of WiFi by travellers, shows that the solutions are beginning to settle in a sustainable range.

The battle between free and paid wireless Internet access is starting to look like a draw. Or more accurately, a third variation is winning — a combination of the two. Travelers want to log on everywhere at no charge, while hotels, airports and coffee shops are looking for a way to pay for their Wi-Fi networks as visitors increasingly use greater amounts of bandwidth.
Free Wi-Fi, but Not for All - New York Times