Tag: disaster risk reduction

From Mountains to Data – Insights from RIPE 89

Posted on by Aziz Soltobaev

The RIPE 89 Meeting, held in Prague, brought together a vibrant mix of technology enthusiasts and industry experts to share knowledge on data, networking, and innovation. Organized by the RIPE Network Coordination Centre (RIPE NCC), this annual gathering serves as a crucial forum for fostering collaboration and exchanging ideas within the global internet community. One of the standout sessions was “From Mountains to Data,” presented by Aziz Soltobaev under the RIPE Academic Cooperation Initiative (RACI). This talk illustrated the journey of turning raw natural data into valuable digital insights.

In his presentation, Aziz Soltobaev discussed how immense, raw data sourced from the natural world can be transformed into actionable information. This theme transcends theoretical discussion and dives into practical solutions for collecting, managing, and analyzing vast environmental data sets. The metaphor of mountains symbolized both the physical challenge of remote data collection and the inherent complexity of processing unrefined data.

In his presentation at RIPE 89, Aziz Soltobaev emphasized the challenges of data collection in Kyrgyzstan’s mountainous regions, stating, “Deploying sensors in these remote areas is not just about technology; it’s about overcoming logistical hurdles and ensuring data reliability.”

Key Insights and Technological Challenges

Data Collection in Remote Areas: Soltobaev highlighted the difficulties encountered when gathering data in rugged, mountainous regions. Deploying sensors, ensuring reliable data transmission, and dealing with extreme conditions demand both creative problem-solving and technological ingenuity.
Advanced Data Processing: After collection, raw data must be processed to uncover valuable insights. Soltobaev underscored the importance of powerful computational tools like machine learning algorithms and high-performance computing to effectively analyze and interpret this data.
Transforming Data into Decisions: The ultimate aim of this data transformation is to support informed decision-making in areas such as environmental preservation, urban development, and disaster preparedness. Soltobaev provided examples where analyzed data was used to predict natural events and assess their potential impact on communities. “By transforming raw environmental data into actionable insights, we can make informed decisions in urban planning and disaster preparedness, ultimately benefiting our communities”, Aziz said.

Relevance for Networking and Technology Experts
This topic holds significant relevance for the RIPE community. Soltobaev’s insights highlighted parallels between challenges in environmental data handling and the complexities of managing global network infrastructures. Both require scalable, resilient systems capable of adapting to varied and sometimes overwhelming data demands.

Future Perspectives
The presentation “From Mountains to Data” underscored a broader message: the convergence of data, technology, and environmental understanding can lead to innovative, cross-disciplinary solutions. By tackling complex data with the right tools and methodologies, what once seemed insurmountable can be turned into actionable knowledge that benefits multiple sectors.

This session at RIPE 89 emphasized that, with determination and the right technological strategies, even the most challenging data can be harnessed to pave the way for smarter, data-driven decision-making across environmental and technical landscapes.

Additional links:

  • https://ripe89.ripe.net/programme/meeting-plan/iot-wg/
  • https://ripe89.ripe.net/programme/blog/
  • https://ripe89.ripe.net/archives/video/1476/

From Mountains to Data Low-Cost Weather Stations in Kyrgyzstan’s Challenging Terrain

Posted on by Aziz Soltobaev

On behalf of the research team, I am very pleased to announce that our preprint of a research paper on the use of low-cost automatic weather stations, LoRaWAN technology and various IoT sensors has been published. “From Mountains to Data: Low-Cost Weather Stations in Challenging Conditions in Kyrgyzstan” describes the selection criteria for the equipment to be deployed and provides detailed information on the installation process at the pilot sites, as well as the challenges encountered during the project.

For me, one of the main conclusions of this research project is that there has been a significant breakthrough in the quality and availability of telemetry sensors over the past five years.

Our data analysis shows that two-tier automatic weather stations demonstrate similar results (daily, decadal, monthly averages) with a high degree of accuracy (95-98%) as the first-tier AWS. The only difference is that new technologies have reduced the cost of weather stations by 10-20 times. Instead of $50,000 worth of equipment, you can use $1,000-$5,000 weather stations and get identical results (subject to regular calibration and maintenance of the equipment).

The second important takeaway is the demonstration of the potential of LoRaWAN data transmission technology for rapid deployment and monitoring of climate change, creation of geoinformation models, forecasting future trends, and taking mitigating preventive measures.

The third important takeaway is the practical application of such an approach to data transmission as Delay-Tolerant Networks. With this approach, under adverse external conditions, data can be collected and transmitted later. In the conditions of the pilot project in Kyrgyzstan, DTN showed good performance in severe frost conditions in December 2023, when the temperature dropped to -23-28 degrees. As a result, some nearby cell towers were disconnected for a while, as were some of our sensors. However, data recording continued, and when the network was restored, the data was successfully transmitted to the central server.

The full version of this article will be published in the next issue of the scientific journal Sensors. This scientific work became possible during the implementation of the research project of the Internet Society Kyrgyz Chapter with the financial support of the Internet Society Foundation.

Lora-enabled IoT devices to improve community preparedness and response to disasters in Kyrgyzstan

Posted on by Aziz Soltobaev

Исследовательская группа ISOC получила дополнительные устройства с поддержкой Lora, призванные помочь сельским общинам и фермерам, проживающим вблизи оползней, улучшить благосостояние.

В начале сентября Кыргызское Отделение Интернет общества получило запрос от Министерства по чрезвычайным ситуациям на установку интеллектуальных устройств, таких как устройства для мониторинга погоды и оползней, в южных частях республики.

Кабинетное исследование списка мест показало, что в некоторых случаях местные сообщества проживают вблизи потенциального источника стихийного бедствия. В южных частях страны малообеспеченные семьи и общины более уязвимы к последствиям стихийных бедствий, таких как оползни, сели, землетрясения. Главным образом потому, что местные жители, занимающиеся в основном животноводством и сельским хозяйством, не могут позволить себе лучшие условия жизни и экономические возможности в более безопасных регионах.

Между тем, в настоящее время научно-исследовательский проект использует потенциал коммуникационных шлюзов Лораван менее чем на 1% своей мощности. Основываясь на имеющихся данных, мы решили приобрести доступные и недорогие устройства с поддержкой Lora, которые могли бы помочь фермерам реализовать потенциал точного земледелия (умного земледелия) и улучшить свое экономическое благосостояние.

В дополнение к устройствам мониторинга погоды, которые должны быть установлены для мониторинга пилотных локаций и помощи в построении систем раннего предупреждения, мы планируем установить образцы устройств для управления водным орошением земель, мониторинга состояния почвы и отслеживания животных, пасущихся вблизи оползней.

Мы планируем предоставлять собранную информацию в удобном мобильном интерфейсе и телеграм ботах, чтобы местные фермеры могли воспользоваться большей частью технологий, а также участвовать в мониторинге стихийных бедствий.

Преимущество этой инициативы для исследовательского проекта заключается в обеспечении целостности оборудования и устойчивости сбора данных в долгосрочной перспективе.

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Illustrative image of smart agriculture devices

Installation works on Adygene lake pilot location finalized

Posted on by Aziz Soltobaev

The review of installation works conducted on August and feedback from the installation team revealed that proposed scheme was not sustainable to weather conditions in the altitude of 3600m.

Based on consultations with the experts from CAIAG, Institute of Water Problems as well as ICTP, some changes had been proposed in carcass of the composition to keep photovoltaics as well as its location.

The installation team moved the structure from one hill to another, conducted welding and strengthening works on Adygene high mountain glacial lake.

Due to the delayed installation works, the research team were unable to setup Lorawan gateway and sensors this year. The cold weather conditions and expedition difficulties. We hope to finalize work by May, 2024.