Urgent invite: Humanitarian Technologies. An Ethnographic Assessment of Communication Environments in Disaster Recovery and Humanitarian Intervention

The proposed research aims to assess the uses and consequences of communication technologies in the recovery and rehabilitation of populations affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. Haiyan (known locally as Yolanda), which made landfall in the Philippines on November 8th 2013 was one of the strongest storms ever recorded with over 6000 casualties and more than 12 million people affected. In particular, we propose to investigate the uses of digital technologies and innovations such as mobile phones, SMS, crisis mapping and social media both by directly affected populations and humanitarian organisations. Communications technologies are increasingly recognized as vital in the prevention, mitigation and rehabilitation of disasters. It is even claimed that digital innovations such as social media are transforming humanitarianism by enabling 'people-centred humanitarian action' which empowers disaster-affected communities to coordinate and respond to their own problems. This optimism has given rise to a discourse on 'humanitarian technology' referring to the uses and applications of technology by disaster-prone communities in the response, recovery and rebuilding (World Disasters Report, 2013). Yet, despite the enthusiasm regarding the role of digital technologies as tools for humanitarian relief there is little evidence to assess their impact. What seems to be particularly missing from accounts on 'humanitarian technology' is the perspective of the affected populations themselves. Our ethnographic study aims to weigh the optimism surrounding 'humanitarian technology' against actual benefits to users. Our approach places the voice of affected people at the heart of the analysis. We will specifically examine the impact of communication technologies in the following critical areas: 1) information dissemination; 2) collective problem-solving; 3) redistribution of resources; 4) accountability and transparency of humanitarian efforts and, 5) voice and empowerment of affected populations.
This is an 18-month ethnographic study that will take place in two disaster-affected locations (Tacloban, Leyte and Bantayan, Cebu) where we will conduct qualitative interviews, participant observation and online ethnography. We will conduct additional interviews with representatives from humanitarian organisations, government agencies and digital platforms to assess their uses of technological innovation in the disaster recovery efforts. Comparing the perspective of disaster-affected people and humanitarian organizations will allow us to understand both actual and potential uses of technology. The proposed research will be one of the first mixed method studies to combine an in-depth study of affected populations with a study of digital practitioners and humanitarian workers. The project will engage directly with humanitarian organizations, government and civil society agencies as well as the telecommunications and digital technology industry with which we have established partnerships. Our research aims to inform the academic, policy and public debates on the role of communication technologies in a humanitarian context.

Our project has a clear societal and economic impact for a number of beneficiaries including humanitarian organisations and practitioners in communication for development, government and civil society agencies, the telecommunications industry, software designers and at-risk populations themselves, as discussed below:

1) NGOs and humanitarian organisations dealing with disaster management and development:
There is surprisingly little evidence for the actual and potential uses of digital media for disaster mitigation and rehabilitation. Our project aims to inform policy directions and strategies of NGOs and humanitarian organizations to improve their interventions. Our partnership with UNOCHA (United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Action) indicates great interest from one of the largest humanitarian organizations to integrate their disaster management operations to the digital environment and learn new ways to interact with vulnerable populations (see letter of support).
2) Practitioners in the field of communication for development (including ICT4D):
Our findings are also relevant for practitioners in the field of communication for development as they also require evidence on the consequences of ICTs for improving life chances and human capabilities as well as for increasing the voice and visibility of disadvantaged groups.
3) Government agencies and policymakers:
Public officials in the Philippines, neighbouring disaster-prone regions and developed countries all need better understanding of the potential of communication technologies to develop evidence-based policies. In preparing this proposal we have consulted our partner government agencies (Department of Social Welfare and Development), lawmakers (Senator Loren Legarda, Climate Change Commissioner Yeb Sano) and government advisers (Dr Tony La Vina) and will work with them to ensure our research findings lead to clear policy recommendations.
4) Telecommunications industry:
Private telecoms companies are at the forefront of communication innovations for disaster response. Government agencies and NGOs often seek the support of telecoms firms during disaster, thus requiring them to critically monitor and evaluate initiatives they are invited to support, as our partner SMART Telecoms relates to us (see letter of support). Philippine telecommunications companies have dedicated disaster response departments and design products to deploy during crises. Our in depth approach will be able to critically assess the difference communication technologies make in disaster response. Such insight can be applied in other disaster-affected empirical contexts.
5) Digital media designers and software developers:
Recent years have seen a proliferation of digital platforms employed in crisis situations, and often require the volunteerism of both expert engineers and ordinary people from around the world responding to a local crisis. These new digital apps and techniques of crowdsourcing are increasingly used by humanitarian workers when planning/distributing aid, including by UNOCHA. In-depth knowledge of whether these new software and applications have direct impact on vulnerable populations can improve the design of future products commissioned by humanitarian organisations or industry players.
6) Affected populations themselves:
We are committed to sharing our data with local populations who are not understood as passive victims but as active agents in the recovery phase. There is great potential in this research to empower affected populations to make informed decisions, coordinate recovery efforts and make their voices heard in the rebuilding process.