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The Philippines and Vietnam need to counter Beijing’s actions in the South China Sea and protect their territories, an Australian analyst on political and security issues in Southeast Asia said.
DIGITAL LIFELINES
![A woman looks at her house destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami in
Kessenuma town in Miyagi prefecture in March 2011.[REUTERS]](/shared/images/2012/01/01/RTR2KI4P.jpg)
A woman looks at her house destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami in Kessenuma town in Miyagi prefecture in March 2011.[REUTERS]
When a disaster strikes, effective communication can mean the difference between life and death. Rapid advances in technology have opened new channels of communication, with many people turning to social media sites and text messaging technology in times of trouble.
“The public has begun to rely on social media to share information during emergencies with family, friends, and increasingly, with government and aid organizations who maintain social networking profiles,” according to “The Case for Integrating Crisis Response with Social Media,” published by the Red Cross. “The social web is creating a fundamental shift in disaster response that is asking emergency managers, government agencies, and aid organizations to mix their time-honored expertise with real-time input from the public.”
After Haiti’s deadly earthquake in 2010, victims reached out to the world through cellphone text messages — and the world responded. Using crisis-mapping software called Ushahidi, volunteers translated and plotted information sent via text message from survivors and those trapped in the rubble. Medics and relief workers were able to use the information to find victims and deliver aid.
The same technology was employed in Japan after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami left thousands dead and many more injured and stranded. Survivors were asked to send reports via Twitter, email or the Web with their location and firsthand information about evacuation centers, rescue needs, medical equipment, transportation updates and disaster areas. The public and relief workers could access all the reported information through a map on Sinsai.info.
As important as technology is in improving countries’ responses to disaster, though, participation from the people involved is paramount. “Ten percent of this is the technology,” Ushahidi’s Patrick Meier told the website Technology Review, “and the other 90 percent is the people. That’s truer and truer as the technology gets easier to use.”
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