Natural disasters are a large threat for people especially in developing countries such as Laos. ICT-based disaster management systems aim at supporting disaster warning and response efforts. However, the ability to directly communicate in both directions between local and administrative level is often not supported, and a tight integration into administrative workflows is missing. In this paper, we present the smartphone-based disaster and reporting system Mobile4D. It allows for bi-directional communication while being fully involved in administrative processes. We present the system setup and discuss integration into administrative structures in Lao PDR.
The Indian Ocean tsunami of December 26th, 2004 was one of the greatest natural disasters; it was also the first Internet-mediated natural disaster. Despite the presumed ubiquity and power of advanced technologies including satellites and the Internet, no advance warning was given to the affected coastal populations by their governments or others. This article examines the conditions for the supply of effective early warnings of disasters, drawing from the experience of both the December 26th, 2004 tsunami and the false warnings issued on March 28th, 2005. The potential of information and communication technologies for prompt communication of hazard detection and monitoring information and for effective dissemination of alert and warning messages is examined. The factors contributing to the absence of institutions necessary for the realization of that potential are explored.