Mobiles become emergency resource in storm season

Chinese authorities in parts of Eastern China battered by recent tropical storms have turned to mobile technologies to help with citizen protection and mass mobilisation. Millions of mobile users in Fujian province have received SMS text message warnings updating citizens on the progress of the storms as they moved towards the Chinese coast at the end of July and earlier this month. Hundreds of people have been killed by the storms, but it is thought that mobile messages could have helped save lives by facilitating communication with people isolated by the weather.

Some critics of the way SMS was used have said that the messages only told people what most of them already knew - that the storm was coming and that they should make preparations. However, regional authorities have pointed out the great potential for the development of the system, even in coordinating evacuation procedures. This use of SMS in addition to the traditional radio and television for such emergency communications shows the extent to which telecommunications and mobile phones in particular have become a widespread feature of everyday life.

CMI - 22/8/06