This week, the GSMA Disaster Response Team is hosting a workshop in Jakarta, Indonesia to bring together members of the mobile industry, the humanitarian and NGO communities and representatives from Government agencies. The objective of this event is to provide a forum for Mobile Network Operators and other experts to exchange experiences and strategies for preparing for, and responding to disasters. Our aim is to begin building a community of practice and partnership in Indonesia ahead of time to enable a speedier and more effective response. For every $1 spent on preparedness, $7 could be saved in response dollars- with this in mind, focusing on building resilience and capacity within the mobile industry and its partners ahead of the next disaster is a priority for the GSMA DR team.
According to a recent report from the GSMA, found here, Asia Pacific is home to half of the world’s mobile subscribers, and the mobile industry is having a profound impact not only in supporting communication, but also in driving economic growth through infrastructural investment. Analysts predict that by 2020, the mobile industry will have contributed around $240 billion USD through investments in infrastructure. Indonesia is the fourth largest market in the APAC region, and stands to make considerable economic and social gains from this investment.
However, Indonesia is also one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. Many of us will remember the images of overwhelming destruction caused by the Indian Ocean Tsunami that struck 10 years ago on December 26th, 2004. More recently, extreme flooding last year impacted over 10 million residents in Jakarta alone, and with continued urbanization, more people are likely to be living in areas vulnerable to these events. These disasters cost the country hundreds of millions of dollars and have the potential to reverse the gains made through investment in infrastructure and social and economic development.
Within this context, it is increasingly important that both the mobile industry and other stakeholders, be they government agencies, NGOs or service providers, work together to address resilience and create predictable partnerships. The mobile industry has a significant role to play in disaster preparedness, but MNO’s are not immune from the impacts that these events have on their infrastructure and operations. We hope this workshop highlights where and how MNOs can positively contribute to disaster preparedness within Indonesia, and how they and other organizations can partner together to improve collective resilience.
Stay tuned for the presentations and key findings from the workshop.