Promoting Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems for All - From Timor-Leste and Beyond
Similie is a for profit social enterprise tech company. Similie has created an affordable and intuitive cloud-based end-to-end Multi-hazard Early Warning System to protect vulnerable communities in emerging markets from climate hazards and help them adapt to climate change.
Description
Similie is a tech company from Timor-Leste with a vision for a fairer, greener, and more accountable world where everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential. We offer innovative and world-class tech solutions to tackle global challenges through technology and design, by simplifying data, information and work processes into actions that impact on people's livelihoods. These solutions use our cloud and Internet of Things tech base to deliver natural disaster multi-hazard early warning systems, community water supply monitoring, and personnel, logistics and asset management. Similie stands out from the rest because we combine our tech with a people-centered approach to increase tech adoption and sustainability.
We aim to reduce the financial and technical barriers of many governments that prevent them from effectively monitoring and managing their local environment to improve water security and/or mitigating climate risks with real-time multi-hazard early warning system tech.
Our innovative technologies collect a range of hydrometeorological and water supply data in real-time that is linked to live feeds global models to inform of impending climate risks. The collaborative nature our technology allows national meteorological, agro-meteorological, and rural water supply agencies to establish monitoring networks, and share their data to breakdown silos. For example, data from national meteorological agencies used for multi-hazard early warning systems can be shared with agriculture and water supply agencies to inform their project and policy work. This approach enables larger networks of monitoring, than would have been previously achievable, and facilitates data sharing across agencies.
Our approach aims to increase the ROI of climate change adaptation investments, by enhancing collaboration between governments, civil society, and the private sector. Our projects are implemented though change management methods to address adoption challenges and facilitate stronger partnerships and long-term sustainability.
Similie is growing a network of customers through the Asia Pacific, increasing the impact of the benefits of our life-saving technologies to more people in emerging markets who need it most.
Did the Sendai Framework change or contribute to changes in your activities/organization? If so, how?
The Sendai Framework has strategic targets and indicators to advocate for disaster risk reduction among which is global target G: "Substantially increase the availability of and access to multi‑hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessments to the people by 2030." Similie’s growth strategies align with and will enable us to contribute to the achievement of Target G of the Sendai Framework.
What led you to make this commitment/initiative?
What was your position before making this Voluntary Commitment / prior to the Sendai Framework?
Similie has been developing innovative tech for multi-hazard early warning systems since 2017, and is one of a few private sector entities to who have specifically designed business models around the rapid deployment of affordable and easy to use multi-hazard early warning systems for governments, communities and others in emerging markets. Prior to making this voluntary commitment, Similie has already developed and deployed multi-hazard early warning systems that protects over 300,000 people in emerging markets.
Deliverables and Progress report
Deliverables
Deliverables are the end-products of the initiative/commitment, which can include issuance of publications or knowledge products, outcomes of workshops, training programs, videos, links, photographs, etc.
Our early proof of concept project with Plan International successfully identified floods and triggered alerts to government for the 781 community members in Saboria, Timor-Leste. This gave us the confidence for further development of both our IoT data logger and multi-hazard early warning system.
In 2019, UNDP contracted Similie to integrate the governments existing monitoring network into our cloud based multi-hazard early warning system (MEWS). From the platform we managed live data feeds and set thresholds to trigger MEWS alerts to Government for flood, fire, strong winds and landslides. This project protected 36,574 people.
In 2019, Similie partnered with World Vision to deploy a flood EWS to four communities in Bobonaro, Timor-Leste. This project protected 10,405 people.
In 2020, we partnered with Mercy Corps with support from CISCO to trial the use of AI for predicting the likelihood of floods. This pilot was successful and featured in several publications.
In 2021, Similie and Mercy Corps partnered to deploy a large-scale flood EWS for the capital of Timor-Leste, Dili. The scale of this EWS is a testament to the maturity of our innovation. This FEWS serves over 275,000 people, vital national infrastructure and the center of government and commerce for the country. This project had funding support from Kioca and the EU.
Similie was selected to exhibit its multi-hazard early warning system (MEWS) technology in the Innovation Platform at the GPDRR 2022 event.
In 2022, Similie partnered with Mercy Corps to deploy a flood early warning system for remote communities near Suai Covalima Timor-Leste. This deployment protects agriculture, homes and livelihoods.
Similie was selected to exhibit its Multi-hazard Early Warning System (MEWS) in the Conference Market Place at the APMCDRR 2022, in Brisbane, Australia.
Similie’s Multi-hazard Early Warning System is deployed in new markets across Asia Pacific.
Promote the critical importance of private public partnerships in the achievement of Target G of the Sendai Framework, through case study examples and successful partnerships across the Asia Pacific.
Similie will continue to promote our achievements and the benefits of public private partnerships in the achievement of Target G of the Sendai Framework, through active engagement in the global DRR sector.
With expansion of our markets across the Asia Pacific our life-saving technologies will protect more vulnerable people and communities.
Organizations and focal points
Implementing Organization(s)
Focal points
Partners
