ICT-based Early Warning Response Mechanism for Sea Fishers

Reducing loss and damage of cyclone-exposed seagoing fishers through improved communication technology for adapting natural calamities of southwest coastal Bangladesh.

The southwest coastal region of Bangladesh one of the climate hotspots in the world and vulnerable to natural disasters. Around one million people engaged in fishing in the cyclone exposed Bay-of-Bengal. Most of the traditional fishers are ‘Malo- extremely marginalized occupational group’. Despite their contribution in food security and national economy but they are often excluded from mainstream of development. Every year the fisher’s loss their boats, assets and sometimes lives due to lack of adequate knowledge and skill in changing climate context. The fishers fluttering by heavy wind and tide and rescued by the marine forces of neighboring countries and faces jail for illegal intrusion. Inherently, the fishers are dependent on local moneylender due to invest in fishing. They are bound to sell fishes to mahajons and have no option to bargain regarding the price of the fishes. They have no land and properties of their own and pass inhuman lives in makeshift huts by the river banks.  

To address this problem, AOSED generated a new idea which had been tested for one-year (March 2015 to February 2016) to ‘Establish a climate resilient fisher community in the southwest coastal region for long term livelihoods safety and improvement’ with the cooperation of Give2Asia.

Key activities:

Community mobilization:In the pilot phase formed 30 fisher groups with 300 seagoing fisher, 30 women groups with 300 female representatives of fisher communities to ensure active and effective participation of the fisher community in the project activities.

Capacity development and safety gear distribution:Various issue-based training sessions have been conducted for skill and capacity development on disaster preparedness, using process and necessity of safety and security materials, occupational safety and risks management use and maintenance of VTS and safety gears. Besides, provided safety equipment such as lifebuoys, life jackets, signal lights, radio, mobile phone and compass.

Developed and installed Vessel Tracking System (VTS) in the seagoing traditional boats:The Vessel Tracking System (VTS) has been developed by using existing Vehicle Tracking Device (VTD), telecommunication network for transmission service, installed Solar Power System in the boat for electricity facilities and set up a small operating center as central monitoring hub for regular live communication and exchanging signals which are combined make an effective early warning response mechanism.

Partnerships and linkage building:Develop effective partnerships and linkage with the local government bodies, Upazila administration, Forest department, Department of Fisheries and Meteorological Department, Banks and Insurance Company to sensitize and make them more responsive to address needs and demands of deprived fishermen communities through issue-based sharing and persuasion meetings.    

The innovative solution is addressing the climate vulnerable deprived seagoing fisher’s safety and security. The core part of the innovation has been developed by upgrading existing vehicle tracking devices to vessel tracking system. Through combined use of existing and locally available materials, equipment, technologies, Tale-communication network, solar power, radio, mobile phone, software which will be connected with the central monitoring hub to enhance effective early warning response mechanisms and live communication among sea fishers which was very first experience in this region and that has been accepted by the sea going fisher community and appreciated by the stakeholders. 

Technology integration is the process to the solution. The commonness of telecommunication and navigation network shared with the low-barrier user experience makes the solution integrated to technology considering vulnerability context of the fisher community. Process innovation encompasses vessel tracking device, radio, and mobile phone for live communication with central monitoring hub which is easily accessible for the fishers.

The fishermen respond effectively and have acted accordingly to the easily interpreted direction. The technology is user friendly and cost effective resulting in creating an effective inter-linkage with the end users.

Based on the lesson learnt and attained experience from testing phase AOSED and Give2Asia is conducting 2nd phase of the SAFER project with 676 fishermen from100 boats to achieve the goals through following activities:

• Fisher community mobilizing;
• Capacity development regarding disaster risk management, proper uses of technologies and safety gears and IGA;
• Install upgraded VTS and central monitoring hub;
• Distribute safety and security gears;
• Conduct policy advocacy access to bank loan, insurance coverage and existing social safety net of government;
• A social enterprise will be developed through making VTS technology affordable for sea going fishers

In three to five years we will go for satellite-based networking facilities system with having own network upgrading lab and own call center for providing weather and disaster updates for fishermen. As well as we expect to connect with the concerned govt. and non-govt. organization and agencies for developing a strong and effective information interchanging and sharing hub. And In AOSED vision to provide service for more than 15,000 traditional seas going fishing boats in southern part of Bangladesh. At the same time, take initiative to cover around 100,000 climate vulnerable sea going fishermen. 

Ensure active participation of target audience as well as beneficiaries through multiple approaches such as:

• Organize issue-based workshops, policy dialogue, sharing sessions, training, and outreach programs;
• Group formation, community group meeting, issue-based capacity development training, climate field school sessions, regular communication from central monitoring hub;
• Develop effective working relationship with the with public and private organizations that those who are working in this field;
• Regular coordination, participate and organize joint events and ensure active and effective participation of all social strata
• Information collection and analysis

The development stage of the innovation SAFER-II Project is currently addressing 676 fishers from 100 fishing boats and 372 households make a total 1786 persons from the Fisher Community of Paikgachha Upazila of Khulna District. We’ll serve through: 

• Community Mobilization
• Capacity Development
• Provide IGA support for the women groups of Fisher community
• Install upgraded VTS and Center Monitoring Hub
• Provide safety gears such as lifebuoys, life jackets, signal lights, radio, mobile phone, compass and First Aid Box.
• Grassroots and policy advocacy
• Integration of public and private resources
• Participatory monitoring

The development stage of the innovation, SAFER-II Project will address around 1000 fishers and serve:

• Develop capacity and skills through issue-based training and conducting climate field school sessions;
• Sharing Knowledge, information and technology through workshop, seminar, field visit, policy dialogue, mock drill, awareness and media campaign
• Linkage building with the banks, insurance companies and relevant Govt. line departments and ministries  

And in next 3 years, based on the success of upgrading stage, the project will expand in similar characterized communities covering 15,000 boats with 100,000 seagoing fishers.  We will also take fundraising initiatives with public, private and donor agencies. 

Expertise in community mobilization, local resource mobilization, program designing, awareness and training modules, effective linkage with all social strata, design and conduct effective advocacy plan, telecommunication, communication skills, problem identification and mitigation, working in changing environmental, socio-political and economical context .

Besides, this team also successfully implement the testing phase of SAFER Project and continuing the 2nd phase of the SAFER Project based on experiences and lesson learnt gathered from the testing phase.

AOSED will develop a Social Business model by highly expertise personnel. The proposed revenue model would be look like:

• VTS will be affordable and user friendly for sea going fishermen and its networking and maintenance cost will be approximately 30%-40% lesser than other similar service providers.
• Constructive market assessment and analysis VTS devices and satellite-based networking services for 24/7 developed by AOSED.
• The bottom line of this enterprise model is to establish a non-profitable company where the moto will be ‘No loss and No Profit’. Mainly, the collected revenue will be used for employees’ salary, equipment maintenance, office rent, network allocation fees, all utility cost, charge, levy and other relevant purposes. Revenue will be collected on monthly basis.
• This business model will be sustainable and beneficial for sea going fishermen as well as customer and the organization itself.

On the basis of our succession of 2nd phase will help us to develop an enterprise development model in next phase. 

Solve is a right place where we can attribute our idea so that we can attract the global audience by which we will get required support including technology, knowledge, information and resource from the various level of development agencies and education and research institutions also. through this process, this solution will expand in the sea going fishers in southern part of Bangladesh that will make them more resilient on natural calamities and they will be able to earn more, they will also contribute on national economy and food security. Besides, their socio-economic standard will be improved.  

As it a local level innovation, we will face international communication gap. In addition, our previous experience is that we did not able to engage more international development agencies who tend to donate or participate or they have lack of attention on this issue. At the same time, our existing telecommunication network does not properly cover the cyclone exposed fishing area of Bay-of-Bengal. 

Solve can help to bridging the gap between local organizations and international development partners/agencies to draw more attention for financing to reduce loss and damages of traditional sea going fishers.