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Hi-tech flood warnings

Hi-tech flood warnings. Simon Oakes Edexcel Principal Examiner. Tapsell, S., Burton, R., Oakes, S. and Parker, D. (2004) The Social Performance of Flood Warning Communications Technologies Environment Agency Technical Report W5C-016. Lecture outline.

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Hi-tech flood warnings

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  1. Hi-tech flood warnings Simon Oakes Edexcel Principal Examiner

  2. Tapsell, S., Burton, R., Oakes, S. and Parker, D. (2004) The Social Performance of Flood Warning Communications Technologies Environment Agency Technical Report W5C-016

  3. Lecture outline • Traditional warning methods and their weaknesses • What are hi-tech warnings and why are they needed? • What are “vulnerable groups”? • Environment Agency: new hi-tech plans • Who uses mobiles and the internet? • Will hi-tech warnings work? • How is this relevant to my course? • Writing about flood management

  4. Traditional warning methods • Door knocking • Flood wardens • Mobile loudhailers • Flood sirens • Public address systems • Television and radio broadcasts • Television teletext (1980s) • Automatic Voice Messaging (AVM) via home telephone lines (1990s) • Dial-and-listen services (e.g. Floodline)

  5. That was then .... (1953)

  6. Why are new methods needed? • ...By the 1970s, flood forecasters are producing timely and accurate flood forecasts and are giving good flood warnings. • ...But people living in floodplains often say that no flood warning has actually been received by them. • ...must do better.

  7. Extra concern: vulnerable groups • Blind or visually impaired • Deaf or hard of hearing • Impaired mobility • Elderly • Low income earners • The homeless • Ethnic minorities

  8. This is now... Hi-Tech Warnings • Mobile SMS text messaging and broadcast • Mobile telephone and voice mail • E-mail • Digital TV and digital radio broadcast • Real time internet flood data: live cameras • Internet websites with real-time warnings • Centrally activated in-home alert systems (similar to smoke alarms and triggered using digital radio signals)

  9. Environment Agency: recent hi-tech development • 2006: the Environment Agency introduces Floodline Warnings Direct (FWD) service • Direct flood warning messages can now be routed to mobile phones by SMS text and PCs via email, as well as home telephones, mobile phones, pagers, and faxes • People who are at risk will be able to self-register on the internet and choose how they would like to be contacted in the event of a flood warning being issued • A faster computer system is also being introduced so that all warnings will be issued more quickly, no matter which options have been selected.

  10. Environment Agency: future hi-tech warnings • Floodline Warnings Direct marks the first step in a five-year plan “to use new communications technologies and new media to get environmental messages across in innovative ways – through digital TV and new generation mobile phones”. • In the future, digital television has considerable potential to save lives, should future government legislation allow warning messages to be displayed on-screen, irrespective of a viewer’s choice of channel. • A Radio Data System (RDS) might be introduced, with receivers similar to smoke alarms placed in homes. These would be activated in an emergency situation using digitally transmitted signals.

  11. Will hi-tech warnings work? • Social barriers to use • Cost of technologies

  12. Will hi-tech warnings work? • Social barriers to use • Cost of technologies • Always-on or dial-up? • Geographical availability • Market fragmentation • Spam

  13. Warning Methods e.g. sirens and mobiles Population Structure e.g. age and income Physical and human geography e.g. mobile reception Will Warnings Work?

  14. Perfect flood management? • 100% effectiveness (no lives lost) can never be guaranteed using a single method... • ...so a multi-strand approach will always be needed

  15. How is this relevant to my course? • Flood management • Hazardous environments • People and the physical environment

  16. “Countries at most risk from disasters caused by natural hazards tend to be poor” Discuss. (OCR A) • Quality answer: shows understanding of levels of economic development at a variety of scales

  17. “To what extent can prediction help in reducing hazard impact?” (Edexcel B) • Quality answer: addresses “to what extent” by recognising prediction is only one aspect of a successful management strategy. • Quality answer: “impact” is not spread evenly through a population: vulnerable groups

  18. Decision-making exercise • Which technology shows the greatest potential for issuing and receiving flood warnings? • After considering the pros and cons of each technology, you should recommend to the Environment Agency one technology that could be made a priority. Your answer will refer to: • Costs and effectiveness • Usefulness for vulnerable groups • Geographical availability • Think about how often you check your email or phone. Would a flood warning sent by email be read in time?

  19. Synoptic geography • Hi-tech flood warnings provide A-level candidates with an opportunity to bring together quaternary industry and hydrology. • What human factors explain the rapid pace of development of ICT in recent years? How are hi-tech research developments helping us deal with the risks associated with the physical challenge of river flooding?

  20. The full report that this article is based on can be read by entering “social performance” into the search field and downloading the free PDF file at: http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/epages/ eapublications.storefront

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