Detecting climate adaptation with mobile network data in Bangladesh: anomalies in communication, mobility and consumption patterns during cyclone Mahasen

Xin Lu, David J. Wrathall, Pål Roe Sundsøy, Md. Nadiruzzaman, Erik Wetter, Asif Iqbal, Taimur Qureshi, Andrew J. Tatem, Geoffrey S. Canright, Kenth Engø-Monsen and Linus Bengtsson ()
Additional contact information
Xin Lu: Karolinska Institutet
David J. Wrathall: Oregon State University
Pål Roe Sundsøy: Telenor Research
Md. Nadiruzzaman: University of Exeter
Erik Wetter: Flowminder Foundation
Asif Iqbal: Telenor Research
Taimur Qureshi: Telenor Research
Andrew J. Tatem: Flowminder Foundation
Geoffrey S. Canright: Telenor Research
Kenth Engø-Monsen: Telenor Research
Linus Bengtsson: Karolinska Institutet

Climatic Change, 2016, vol. 138, issue 3, No 11, 505-519

Abstract: Abstract Large-scale data from digital infrastructure, like mobile phone networks, provides rich information on the behavior of millions of people in areas affected by climate stress. Using anonymized data on mobility and calling behavior from 5.1 million Grameenphone users in Barisal Division and Chittagong District, Bangladesh, we investigate the effect of Cyclone Mahasen, which struck Barisal and Chittagong in May 2013. We characterize spatiotemporal patterns and anomalies in calling frequency, mobile recharges, and population movements before, during and after the cyclone. While it was originally anticipated that the analysis might detect mass evacuations and displacement from coastal areas in the weeks following the storm, no evidence was found to suggest any permanent changes in population distributions. We detect anomalous patterns of mobility both around the time of early warning messages and the storm’s landfall, showing where and when mobility occurred as well as its characteristics. We find that anomalous patterns of mobility and calling frequency correlate with rainfall intensity (r = .75, p

Keywords: Climate change adaptation; Migration; Resilience; Mobile network data; Anomaly detection; Disaster risk (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10584-016-1753-7

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