Operational Use of Social Media in Emergencies

Operational Use of Social

Media in Emergencies

26.11.2014 1Social Media for Good – www.sm4good.com

Photo: Jason A. Howie on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonahowie/8583949219/

What can social media achieve?


26.11.2014 Social Media for Good – www.sm4good.com 3

6.8

billionmobile phone

subscriptions!

Source: ITU; Photo: Lirneasia on Flickr

http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Documents/facts/ICTFactsFigures2013.pdf

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lirneasia/4459019749/sizes/l/in/photostream/


2/3 of all

smartphones

are in the

developing

world!

Source: GSMA; Photo: Alvy on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lirneasia/4459019749/sizes/l/in/photostream/


By 2020

4 out of 5

smartphone

connections will

come from the

developing world.

Source: GSMA; Photo: Manny Valdes on Flickr

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fettuccinealfredo/6971334015


Implications for

disaster response programs

Information flows much more quickly

More people have access to information (directly or indirectly)

The affected population does not wait for you!

You need to speak with one voice because the all communication is global



Photo: JD Hancock on Flickr

This is not about Facebook or Twitter!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jdhancock/6914454974/



It’s about a radical change of how we exchange Information.




Facebook and Twitter are just tools.


What can you do with collaborative

online tools such as social media

To collect information

To share information

To split big tasks into manageable parts


The information paradox

In a disaster you have at the same time too much and too little information.


The information paradox

You have a lot of data but not enough actionableinformation.


What everyone wants:

Enhanced situational

awareness through social

media and online

collaboration


The information deluge


The information deluge

After the earthquake/tsunami in Japan, more than 100,000 tweets were posted every five minutes

After the 2011 New Zealand earthquake, 7,500 tweets were posted per hour using the hashtag #nzeq

→ We need tools that help us identifyrelevant information and remove duplicates


Twitter, the NY Fire Department

and Hurricane Sandy


Emiliy Rahimi, NYFD social media manager

Emily Rahimi, NYFD

Answered hundreds of questions via Twitter during Hurricane Sandy

Gave advice and shared warnings

Connected people to emergency services where phone lines had failed

Sat at (and slept under) her desk for 30 hours



Photo: R. de Oliveira on Flickr

https://www.flickr.com/photos/oliveira_comp/14261335089


Photo: M Vorsprach on Flickr

Think about using the crowd

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vorsprach/8996322753/


Photo: M Vorsprach on Flickr

Anything that is digital or that can be digitized can be shared.

> Radical change throughnetworked technology

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vorsprach/8996322753/




Typhoon Haiyan (first 48 hrs):

1. OCHA requests help

2. Algorithm collected 230,000 tweets

3. Software filtered these tweets

4. 30,000 tweets were shown to volunteers

5. 3,700 tweets were marked as “relevant” for the OCHA request

6. 600 tweets were put on a map

25

Map based on social media updates

How it works:


NGO/Agency

Volunteer Coordinatorswith technical expertise

(Digital Humanitarian Network, HOT OSM, Standby Taskforce etc.)

Digital volunteers

Mobilization

1st level supportRaw and processed data

2nd level support (programmatic)Processed data

DefinitionCoordination

Coordination

Resource: digitalhumanitarians.com

Crowdtasking takes some preparation.

You need to know what you want before requesting help.


http://digitalhumanitarians.com/


Lessons learned: Philippines

Information gathered via social media particularly useful in secondary urban areas

In first 48 hrs no satellite images because of cloud cover;-> social media can be eyes and ears

But: “OCHA employees who responded to [the typhoon] are not sure the social media data augmented what they already knew. Overall, in this case, they felt ‘the time investment was too high’.” (Vieweg et al 2014)

On the other hand: National emergency hotline started to monitor social media


Who is doing what in first 72 hours?


International responders:• Understand what is going on (big picture)• Find resources• Get there

National/local responders: • Understand what is going on (big and detailed picture)• Activate existing resources• Respond

Affected population:• Respond immediately• Look for information• Try to address immediate needs (food, water, medical,

safety, shelter)

Primary use of social media in first days


International organizations:• Fundraising and donor relations (being seen as doing

something)• Situational awareness (minor use)

National/local responders: • Potentially significant improvement of situational

awareness• Two-way communications channel• Fundraising

Affected population:• Safe and well messages (“I am ok. Are you ok?”)• Situational awareness • Coordination

Other relevant groups


Diaspora:

• Safe and well (“Are you ok?”)

• Information gathering and sharing

• Communicate directly with the affected population

• Want to help (potential volunteers)

Non-affected population:

• Multiplication

• Volunteering

Listening is key!

Source: slimmer_jimmer on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/slimjim/2180595798/


Any information vacuumwill be filled

Photo: H Parham on Flickr

https://www.flickr.com/photos/hamedparham/2807721611

Available information affects

The affected population

Your programs

Your security


Photo: Worcester Polytechnic Institute

INGOs can support positive

information sharing by:

Preparing message libraries for recurring emergencies in local languages – including images/infographics

Monitoring social media for rumors and responding to them (“Listening is key!”)

Engaging their supporters in sharing these messages


Monitoring and Mythbusting


Social media is not the best channel in all

situations – but it should always be one channel



Image: African Diaspora Institute

Don’t forget about the diaspora

https://flic.kr/p/asfRAy

Key points

Listening is key

Currently social media is more useful at the local and national level than at the international level

From public information to public communication

Engage the affected population as active participantsin the response (take a look at the Merapi case study)

All communication is global

Ask for help - you don’t have to do everything yourself



Photo: Photophilde on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/7CFr5m


Photo: Josep Ma. Rosell on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/3r7wnw

Government & Nonprofit

Operational Use of Social Media in Emergencies