USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT

By:Rudhra koulAuthor id-5231Paper Id-:82

Presentation Outline

1.Abstract

2.Problem Statement

3.Proposed Solution

4.Example-:Kashmir Flood

5.Limitations

6.Conclusion

7.References

ABSTRACT•Science and Technology has grown enormously during the past many years solving a lot of mysteries and unveiling many secrets of nature.

•. Irrespective of the prowess over science and technology, all our knowledge turns puny against Mother Nature’s forces referred to as Disasters.

•So it’s a fact that no matter how knowledgeable we are we cant prevent natural disasters,but we surely can try to minimize the loss of life and property by using the knowledge and recources that we already have.

Problem StatementThe most common problems that are faced in natural disasters include-:

1.Destruction2.Disruption Of communication3.Loss of life4.Damage to property and infrastructure5.Failure of local government

administration caused by loss of communication

6.linguistic and demographic barriers faced by rescuers from various other parts of country

Problem Statement cont…

In This research I have tried to analyze and formulate a way to make use of social media

sites such as facebook,twitter etc to solve or at least help in solving these problems

based on the experience gained during the floods in Jammu and Kashmir region in

September 2014 and the analysis of the whole scenario after the floods.

Proposed Solution

Taking in account the J&K Flood Tragedy, the usage of social media did work but the haphazard manner reduced its efficiency. In order to actually help the people caught up in the disaster I have devise a systematic procedure that can be followed during such disasters to minimize loss of life and help in the rescuer work.

The proposed solution follows a sequence of well defined steps. The steps in the sequence are as follows :

Step1-:GROUP CREATION1.As soon as a disaster such as floods, earthquake etc hits a place,various groups and communities can be created on popular social media sites like facebook and intimating people and spreading awareness about it through other modes like national news, whatsapp ,social media etc. The moderator may be an agency like NDRF or some NGO or any ordinary person.

The group is required to be easily accessible. Therefore to ease the search, the solution is to use hashtags(#) which are quite popular among people nowadays. Simple use of hashtags in the names with different variations in text can help finding the groups easily. Some examples are #kashmir flood, #find your loved ones, #flood help, #floods etc. The group used in kashmir flood was “Kashmir Flood Live Updates”

Step 2-:Adding Members and collecting information

1.Setting the privacy of the groups to "Open" so as to enable members to add more people on the basis of their hometown, which is mentioned in the social media profiles.

2. Asking members to create posts in group about different areas where they can provide their share of information regarding the status of people that they are currently in contact with. This will enable others to know if communication in particular areas is still feasible and the current situation in the area.

Step 2 continued….3- people can upload handmade maps of various areas with certain milestones or places or things nearby to facilitate NDRF for navigation. Members can also supply old pictures showing roads or alternate ways to get into areas.

4- People may provide information regarding number of trapped people in houses in areas that they know of. It can include number of old persons, children and women

5- Information about old or already damaged property that may have chances or collapsing must be uploaded

Step 3-segregation and maintainance of information

1.All the information about each area must be contained and maintained in one post related to that area. New information should be added to the existing posts instead of creating new posts.

2.Group admins can monitor the posts and in case of too many members posting and commenting on a particular post, a separate group can be created for the particular area and post the link on that particular post to segregate the information on basis of areas.

3.Admins must monitor the group to find people that are causing problems by posting wrong or irrelevant information and block those users and delete there posts.

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Step 4-: Compiling and Communicating the Information to the interested parties

• Area wise information must be Compiled and removal of

duplicates using data management applications like Microsoft

excel, which accelerates identification of duplicates.

• Providing the relevant information to the rescue agencies at

the earliest.

• NDRF and Army and other rescue agencies can start uploading

lists of people rescued ,dead or feared dead from particular

areas, where they are being taken etc and should post such

information either on the main group or in separate individual

group areas.

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Step 5-:POST Disaster Help

These Groups can help to collect Donations

for the post disaster releif and

rehabilitation work based on the actual

ground realities such as the items required

such as medicines,food,clothing etc and the

info about the contact numbers addresses of

various government and non government

agencies working for the releif and

rehabilitation so that people willing to

donate can know how to make sure that there

donations reach the needy and also ensure

that people donate only those things that are

actually required at that time

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Kashmir Floods

Snapshot Of a post on a facebook Group Created During Kashmir floodsProviding info about the water levels in various areas.

An area specific Group created during kashmir floods as posts about this area were increasing.

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Limitations• People try to flood the groups with Posts as they

are in a state of shock and trauma which causes

problems in information compilation and retrieval.

• There are a lot of irrelevant posts that people

post.

• People not using hashtags because of a lack of

knowledge etc.

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Conclusion• In the words of Aristotle, "The ultimate value of

life depends upon awareness and the power of

contemplation rather than upon mere survival." Houses

and Landscapes can be rebuilt and remodeled but loss

of life is a loss forever. Disasters may be capable

of causing enormous destruction but when the masses

join, even forces of nature can't steal a life.

references• https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kashmir-flood-live-updates/260651034058770?fref=nf

• https://www.facebook.com/groups/868064906537771/

• https://www.facebook.com/groups/1467072533572563

• https://www.facebook.com/pages/NDRF/611248232328004

• https://www.facebook.com/Indianarmy.adgpi

QUESTIONS PLEASE?

THANK YOU