Tracking migration patterns
Organizations have increasingly tapped into the benefits cell phones provide when it comes to tracking human migration. They have found that where traditional survey methods fail, mobile phone data can succeed.
One of the groups at the forefront of migration-tracking data collection is the Flowminder Foundation. Their most recent case study focuses on Bangladesh and the country’s increase in climate change-related migration. Flowminder argues that mobile tracking allows for a better understanding of behavior during severe weather events as it is able to more precisely pick up on individual actions that non-mobile surveys tend to miss. Based on their findings, they are then able to redevelop future disaster preparation plans that are better suited to the area and, ultimately, save lives.