Wageningen University & Research - Department of Social Sciences Chair Group Sociology of Development and Change #Humanity Saved Chennai An exploration on the role of social media in the 2015 Chennai floods Master Thesis of MSc International Development Studies Thesis Disaster Studies SDC-80736 May 2020 Lucia Guaita Student number: 920620287080 Contact: [email protected] Supervisor Dr. J.F. (Jeroen) Warner Sociology of Development and Change Wageningen University and Research Second Reader Dr.ir. G. (Gemma) van der Haar Sociology of Development and Change Wageningen University and Research ABSTRACT The heavy flood that hit the South Indian city of Chennai in 2015 stand out as one of the first large-scale examples of citizen-driven emergency response. Due to the absence of government authorities from this disaster emergency scene, groups composed of ordinary citizens, celebrities and NGO workers collectively developed an organized mechanism to rescue people and distribute aid in the immediate hours following the destructive event. Crucial to an effective and prompt field response was the establishment of a digital community. After the overwhelming amount of help requests and photos posted on existing Facebook pages, some volunteers created specific social media channels and digital platforms to centralize flood- response communication. Since Chennai suffered from communication-network and power shortages, the role of Chennaiite emigrants living in different parts of India and abroad played a key role in keeping Chennai connected. These digital volunteers established telephone helplines and verified locations and types of relief needed, collecting and assembling information in databases and updating field volunteer groups with crucial data for planning the aid deliveries around the city. Using an experimental mixed-method approach, an ethnographic exploration of the rationales for social mobilization integrates the mapping of dynamics of social networking in the disaster response. This analysis illustrates how social networks built between digital and field volunteers enabled a city-wide aid coverage. However, dynamics of social networking through the use of social media and unequal ownership of smart phones reveal how digital platforms perpetuate an exclusive volunteer participation and limited reach to those affected. Based on a field reconstruction of the emergency response with key informants of the 2015 Chennai floods’ response, this thesis explores in detail the social media- mediated collaboration between field and digital volunteer in the disaster response. Key words: disaster response – social media – mobilization – emigrants – social networks I ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my thesis supervisor Dr. Jeroen Warner for his support throughout my thesis. I have enjoyed working with him and having nice conversation about cultures in disasters. Another thank-you goes to Dr. Ingrid Boas for the opportunity to present my thesis in the Symposium ‘A mobilities lens to the human mobility-environmental change nexus’ in June 2019. I appreciate the interest they both have shown in my MSc thesis research. I want to thank Prof. Sudhir Chella Rajan for the great support in walking me through some key aspects of the 2015 Chennai floods, and connecting me with some key informants. He has been very supportive in inserting me in the Indo-German Centre for Sustainability at the Indian Institute of Technology of Madras. It was a great pleasure to be part of the IGCS team, exploring the IIT Madras campus, meeting so many wonderful people. Here is also where I met my buddy Luiz who has become a very close friend to me. No matter where, when and what, he has always joined me during city explorations. I was very happy I was able to make him appreciate South Indian filter coffee and welcome him to the afternoon juice ritual! In IGCS, I had the great pleasure to meet other wonderful people, among whom Uthra, Baiju, Tarun, Alfiya and Mark. It has been a lot of fun hanging out with you! A big thank goes to my Tamil language course teachers and friends. Saradha ma’am has been a very caring and special teacher, so happy to have met her. During Tamil classes I had the opportunity to make some very good friends, especially Sujatha – with whom I hold very fun memories of travelling around Chennai! –, Shalini and Pranav. For my research I had the opportunity to talk and hang out with very inspirational people, I really appreciate the time and hospitality everyone has offered me. Sumita, Chandra and Swapna have been very inspirational people from whom I have learnt a lot about Chennaiite culture and local activism. Thanks to my friend Navneeth – the best stand-up comedian in Chennai! – I was able to meet Chinmayi, a famous singer whom all my friends could not believe I had an opportunity to meet; so that I had to make proof photos! Vital part of my experience has been my friends, roommates and corridor mates from the hostel. Latha ma’am has been a very caring hostel guardian with whom I had the opportunity to practice my Tamil. A special thank goes to Shabna, Srimathy, and Annabel – the most sweet and caring friends I could wish for. I have great memories of the long nights passed to paint mehendi on my arms, teaching me how to tight sarees, adorning me with earrings, bangles and mullai-poo. I hope we will meet again soon, so many things and foods we need to eat together! Another particular thank goes to Janardhanan Sir, a legend of Bharatanatyam who, with such humbleness and dedication, took me under his wings to share his vast knowledge about this magical art form. I am immensely grateful for his lessons and for the opportunity to be so lucky to have meet a true hero and life philosopher. Overseas, I still could count on the great support of my friends who – during and after my fieldwork – have been supporting me with encouragements during this long journey. To my II lifelong friends, Peppa, Fede and Piro who have been hearing all details of my struggle and shared their personal struggles to never make me feel alone – Grazie raga! This extends to my best Hagenaars friends Franci, Alessandrino and Koentje. And to my Freetown buddies Despoina and Inas. Thank you all for being there! Lastly, and most importantly, I want to thank my family. To Amma and Appa who have been crucial points of reference and support for me. Thank you for having done so much for me, caring for my security and happiness, cooking me delicious food and taking me to many wonderful places in Chennai. I truly value your support and greatly enjoyed the time spent together! I hope I will be able to offer you such a wonderful hospitality in my country, Italy. The biggest thank goes to my life companion Adi, who has been my rock and my compass in each and every second for the last four years. Despite the distance, spending time in Chennai has made me closer to you and your culture. I am happy I could get a sketch of what it means to live and breathe Chennai – and I am happy you are able to feel the same synchrony for the Italian culture and lifestyle! Finally, thank you to Jhonny and Jhonna who, no matter what, have always encouraged me to pursue my dreams and let me go across the world to do what I love: learn to appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of our planet! Grazie Jhonny and Jhonna per l’immenso supporto! I hope one day I will manage to take you to Chennai too! III List of Figures Figure 1. Flood affected people rescued by fishermen in Kotturpuram, Chennai. (Photo Credit: Shaju John, The Hindu) Figure 2. Scheme of the research questions and sub-questions of this thesis. Figure 3. Vulnerability risk assessment in T. Nagar, Chennai. Figure 4. Calendar: planning the fieldwork. Figure 5. Public sector actors. Figure 6. Private sector actors. Figure 7. Civil society actors. Figure 8. Social vulnerability assessment for flood events. Figure 9. Geographical location in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India (Source: Tajuddin, 2018). Figure 10. People in inundated streets (BBC, 19/11/2015). Figure 11. Pre-floods content analysis. Figure 12. Emergency and post-floods content analysis. Figure 13. Army rescuing people in the floods (CNN, 7/12/2015). Figure 14. Celebrities donating for Chennai floods (The Indian Express, 2/12/2015). Figure 15. Velachery Lake, 1970 and 2015 (Scroll.in, 6/12/2015). Figure 16. Social media message thanking volunteers (#ChennaiMicro, 26/12/2015). Figure 17. Digital volunteers at work in Bangaluru, India (5/12/2015). Figure 18. Religious offerings. Figure 19. Heroes of the Chennai Floods (Youtube, 9/12/2015). Figure 20. Assessment of flooded areas in a low-income neighborhood, Chennai. Figure 21. Flood Map Chennai (Source: OpenStreetMap). Figure 22. Chennai Volunteers Map (Source: Google Crisis Response). Figure 23. Volunteers of Chennai Trekking Club (CTC) during rescue phase of 2015 Chennai floods. Figure 24. Betweenness Centrality Social Network Analysis of interviewed informants. Figure 25. Information-Centered Social Network Analysis of interviewed informants. Figure 26. Example of bonding social capital in the social network analysis of the 2015 Chennai floods. Figure 27. Example of bridging social capital in the social network analysis of the 2015 Chennai floods. IV Figure 28. Example of linking social capital in the social network analysis of the 2015 Chennai floods. Figure 29. Spatio-Temporal Analysis for material aid. Figure 30. Spatio-Temporal Analysis for information aid. Figure 31. Spatio-Temporal Analysis for service aid. Figure 32. Reading the news. List of Tables Table 1. Scheme of methods, research questions, theories and chapters. Table 2. Frames and frame characteristics. Adapted from Neuman et al. (1992). Table 3. Legend Social Network Analysis performed in subchapters 7.2.1, 7.2.2 and 7.2.3.